You Have No Idea Just How Much You Mean To Me
by Hatone-Kudasaki
Summary: My first fanficton I've ever wrote. A romantic novel that is centered around ItachiXOC. Other Akatsuki members and OC's are main characters.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

The leader of the Akatsuki called Itachi into his office.

"I have a mission for you," he started. "I need you to capture Yugito Nii, the host of the two-tailed cat monster. She is located somewhere in the Hidden Cloud Village. She's the Akatsuki's next target." Pein instructed. Itachi nodded, about to leave. "Oh, Itachi, one more thing." Pein interrupted. Itachi paused, but didn't turn around. "Deidara will go with you on the mission, and the two of you will bring those two Kudasaki girls, Kikuhana and Hatone, with you.

"Very well," Itachi spoke before he left.

I was outside with Sasori, Deidara, and my sister Kikuhana. The weather was nice, but the conversation between Deidara and I wasn't so much.

"No Deidara! True art does **not **last for a moment!" I argued with him yet again about art.

"Well if art isn't a blast, then what is it, hmm?" Deidara asked with an amused smirk. His overly confident tone angered me.

"It may not last forever, but Sasori's opnion is so much better than yours. Yours is stupid!" I said the last part with a smirk curled on my face.

"You're the one with the stupid idea, hmmm!" Deidara yelled.

"Well it's the truth. It's not my fault if you can't handle it." Deidara and I continued to bark at each other while Kikuhana and Sasori watched us fight.

"Those two never cease to amuse me." Sasori said out loud.

"Yeah, no kidding." Kikuhana said with a chuckle. I began to calm down at the heated discussion.

"Look Deidara, everyone has their own opnion, and mine is—" I was cut off by my sister.

"My opnion is better than your opnion!" Kikuhana threw in at random with a big smile. I stared at her with an arched eyebrow and then sighed.

"No Kiku, I was gonna say…" I stopped my sentence when I saw Itachi not too far from us. A light shade of pink appeared on my face.

"What are you staring at, hmm?" Deidara asked me before he turned around.

"Deidara, you and I have been assigned to a mission." Itachi told Deidara. "However, the leader said we're taking the girls with us." He added. My eyes widened.

"(A- a mission? We've never been on a mission in the Akatsuki!)" I shouted in my head. I've barley ever spoken to Itachi; suddenly I'm going on a mission with him, Deidara and my older sister.

"And why is that?" Deidara asked. "They're not Akatsuki, hmm." He added.

"He didn't say why," Itachi replied. "Get what you need; we're leaving in ten minutes." Itachi said, glancing at me and Kikuhana. I looked away nervously as soon as he glanced at me.

"Alright, let's go Hatone." Kikuhana said as she started walking back inside the hideout. I quickly followed her and into our room.

"Why would he just randomly put us on a mission! He's never bothered with us before, no warnings or anything!" I shouted in a panicked tone as I paced around the room.

"Don't know," Kikuhana replied casually. "But, you might wanna start packing your stuff before we have to leave." She reminded me with a smile.

"Oh, right," I started packing my backpack with useful supplies for traveling. Because Kikuhana was a medical ninja, she mostly carried her medical supplies in case of emergency, while I carried things like food, and we both carried ninja weapons of our own choice.

Kikuhana had dark brown hair that reached to the center of her back with eyes the same color as her hair. She had two pieces of her hair braided and met in a small bun and side-swept bangs. Her skin was tan with a bit of an 'olive' color to it. She wore a black, strapless ninja dress that was thigh-length and had a hot pink strip at the top. She wore black gloves that went from her shoulders to her wrists; with hot pink buckles on each ends. Kiku mainly uses a sword when fighting; therefore, she carries a sword with her on her back. On occasion, she uses two long chains with large kunai attached to the ends. She keeps the chain hidden in pockets inside her knee-high boots. Kiku wore her Leaf Village headband around her neck; however there was a single scratch going across the metal plate.

My hair reached a little bit above my waist and had a vibrant, orange color. I kept it mostly down with a few locks in a hair tie. I kept my bangs side-swept to the left with side-bangs framing my face. My eyes are a deep, chocolate brown and my skin is fair. My usual ninja outfit consisted of a black crop top tank top with a loose, yellow fishnet shirt over it. I wore brown, baggy, knee-length shorts with black vertical stripes on the sides and four red, horizontal stripes on the sides as well. I wore my Leaf Village headband around my waist. But, like Kikuhana, it was scratched out.

"Well, let's not wait any longer," I said as we left outside.

The four of us started our journey and walked through the forest. It was _very _silent. The only sound around us was coming from our footsteps and the natural sounds of the forest. I thought my sister was up to something when she kept glancing at me over and over again. I didn't say anything; I would just stare at her from the corner of my eye, a bit confused. Kikuhana suddenly punched Deidara's arm and ran several feet ahead.

"Ow! Why did you do that, hmm!" Deidara questioned as he chased after her, leaving me and Itachi walking by ourselves. My assumption was correct. She left me alone with Itachi on purpose to torment me. Out of the two of us, I was the shy one and she knew it. It was still silent, but I felt the awkwardness growing more and more with each step. I kept scratching my head; one of the many things I did when I was nervous. So many things were rushing through my head I didn't have time to make sense of them all. I didn't even realize that Itachi was looking at me from the corners of his eyes. I barley glanced up at him when our eyes met for a split second. My heart jumped and fluttered as I felt my face grow hot and the heat spread to my ears. I dropped my eyes back down almost instantly and fiddled with a lock of my long orange hair. He wasn't glaring at me. When Itachi looked at me he seemed like he was in thought. We met back up with Deidara and Kikuhana. They stopped and were staring at something.

"Why did you stop?" I asked them, with my voice still a bit quiet. Deidara pointed straight ahead. There was a very large cliff up ahead that we would either have to climb up or go around it. The decision was made that it would take too long to go around, and that we would just climb up it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Our group started walking along the very shallow path of the cliff. We were about half way up when I made the decision to look down, even though it was probably a bad idea. There was a powerful and fast-rushing river at the bottom. Because I was basically the biggest klutz in history, I hoped that I wouldn't fall off the shallow path and plummet into the river. I took a deep breath before I proceeded to carefully walk. I looked up at my group. I knew that Kikuhana and Deidara were battling over who got to lead. Naturally, Kikuhana won. My sister walked ahead of everyone, but Deidara walked close behind her just in case he got the chance to get ahead. It took me a moment to realize that Itachi was walking in front of me. Even though I couldn't see his face, I watched him and soon enough I was no longer paying any attention to my surroundings. This caused me to misstep and I started to slip. Itachi swiftly wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me in before I could fall. My mouth hung open a bit as my cheeks turned bright red. Itachi's eyes switched to my face. I automatically dropped my gaze and let my hair fall in front of my face.

"Thank you…" I said in a shy voice. I felt him pull his arm back. I could still feel Itachi's eyes on me. I kept my hair in front of my face and I didn't move. I heard the light patter of footsteps after a few moments of silence went by. I brushed my orange hair out of my eyes and saw Itachi walking again, so I started to follow him. We didn't get much farther before the entire path gave in. Screams escaped my throat as I clawed at the air, hoping to grab something. I came crashing down into the water about 8 or 10 feet. I kicked to the surface and gasped a big gulp of oxygen. The current started pushing me hard down stream. I saw a boulder protruding out of the river. I made my way to it and latched on for dear life. I panted and coughed as I looked around.

"Hey!" I yelled, hoping for a response. A wave splashed me in the face, causing me to swallow some water. I coughed a bit more and looked back up to see my sister.

"Kiku!" I called her as I extended my arm towards her. She started kicking my way until she grabbed my hand. I pulled her to me and she grabbed onto the boulder as well. "Where are the other two?" I asked her, trying to keep my head above water.

"I don't know," she answered as we both scanned the area with our eyes. "Look!" She pointed behind me. I turned my head around and saw Deidara. He was trying to hold onto a rock just like us, only the one he had was much smaller and he kept slipping off. I took Kikuhana's hand as she let go of the rock. She reached to Deidara as I leaned out as much as I could. Deidara grabbed her arm and I started pulling them back. The two grabbed a hold of the rock and panted. My eyes flashed around, but Itachi was no where to be seen.

"Stay here," I said to them.

"Where do you think you're going?" Kikuhana asked; her motherly instincts kicking in.

"I'm going to look for Itachi." I told her.

"No, the current is too strong!"

"I really don't have time for this, Kiku," I said, becoming aggravated.

"Hatone, I'm telling you, don't g—." Before she had the chance to finish I let go of the boulder. "HATONE!" She yelled. I knew I made my older sister angry by not listening to her. However, I had more important things to worry about at the moment. I stuck my face underwater, to see if I could spot any kind of human figure. I lifted my head back up as the strong current continued to carry me down stream. I called his name over and over again, hoping that he would answer back. When I was a little further I ducked my head underwater once again. I started to see a shadow towards the bottom. I took a large breath of air before I dove under and kicked as hard as I could. Itachi was at the bottom of the lake; he appeared unconscious and his cloak was snagged around a rugged rock.

"(Oh no…!)" I thought as I swam faster. I hooked both my arms under his arms and pulled him up, kicking fast and hard to the top. I inhaled largely once I was at the surface and held Itachi's face above the water. I truly hoped he could breathe. I started swimming my way back to Kikuhana and Deidara. This time it was much harder because I was swimming against the current, I was dragging a person with me, and the baggy Akatsuki cloak Itachi was wearing became heavy when it was wet. I paddled with one arm and I rapidly kicked underwater with my feet. I became a bit more relived when Kikuhana and Deidara came into view.

"Help!" I cried over the rushing water. Kikuhana took her sword, with the sheath still on, out of the holder and held it out for me. I frantically grabbed at the sword until I got a hold of it and she pulled me in. I held onto the boulder with one arm and held Itachi in the other.

"That's not good." Kikuhana said with her eyes a bit widened.

"We need to get him to land **now**!" I said anxiously. Kikuhana pondered something.

"I have an idea, hopefully it'll work." She announced before she preformed multiple hand signs with one hand. She used a water jutsu to make a very narrow path of calm water.

"Hatone, you go first and take Itachi to land. But you must do it quickly because I can't hold it forever." My sister instructed me. I nodded and started swimming through the path Kikuhana created. Deidara followed not too far behind, and Kikuhana went lastly. I dragged Itachi's body onto land and placed him down as I tried catching my breath. Kikuhana, who was a medical ninja, came running over and unbuttoned Itachi's cloak. She pressed her ear to his chest and then started doing chest compressions. I watched with wide eyes and kept my hands close to my chest. Kikuhana stopped and listened to his heart again.

"He's losing air, and it sounds like there's water in his lungs." Kikuhana announced. "He's going to need mouth-to-mouth. Hatone," she glanced over at me with seirous eyes. "You do it." She added. My eyes shot open as my face went a bit pink.

"What! N-no I'm not gonna do that!" I shouted.

"You know how to do it, don't you? So do it." She said.

"You're the medical ninja, Kiku!" I barked at her.

"Well, think of this as a lesson. CPR 101." Kikuhana replied. Deidara watched with curiosity and wondered why Kikuhana was pushing this on me.

"Alright, alright, fine!" I yelled to stop our bickering. I crawled over to Itachi with my nervous eyes fixed on him. I brushed a lock of my wet orange hair behind my ear as I took a few breaths. I closed my eyes tightly and then put my mouth over Itachi's mouth. I blushed badly and the heat spread to my ears. I exhaled air into his lungs and felt his chest rise. I did it again, and his chest rose again. I did a few chest compressions before I tried mouth-to-mouth one last time. This time he coughed up water. Kikuhana pushed me aside and checked his heart again.

"Everything sounds normal. He's sleeping now, and he should feel just fine when he wakes up." Kikuhana informed me with a warm smile. I sat in that same spot and kept my gaze on the ground. My face was deep red. The throbbing in my ears was so loud that I hardly noticed how fast my heart was going.

"You just had your first medical lesson, congrats, hmm." Deidara said as he rested his arm on his knee.

"We can set up camp here. I'm pretty sure we all need some rest after that event." Kikuhana said with a warm laugh.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Kikuhana got back to her feet and looked at Deidara.

"Alright Deidara, you go get firewood, I'll set up camp." Kikuhana said as she began to gather up some leaves.

"You always have to be the one in charge, hmm?" Deidara said to Kiku, smirking a little.

"Well of course, you already know that Deidara. Now go get the firewood." Deidara went off into the woods looking for firewood. I began to laugh.

"You always act like a mother, it's funny." I laughed even more making my sister laugh.

"Yep! I always am." Kiku said smiling. I took Itachi's cloak off and set it aside to dry.

"(I should probably take off his headband.)" I thought as I reached behind his head, untied his headband, and put it to the side. I looked back at Itachi and noticed that he had a wound on his forehead.

"Hey sis, can I borrow your first-aid kit?" I asked her.

"Huh? What's wrong?" She asked walking over to me. She looked at Itachi and saw his wound.

"Oh, here you go." She pulled her first-aid kit out of her backpack and gave it to me.

"Thanks" I took the first-aid kit from Kikuhana, and she continued with whatever she was doing. I cleaned up the wound and put a bandage over the cut.

"There you go." I said quietly as I smiled at him. I sat there staring at him. I pushed the bangs out of his eyes and I ran my hand down his face.

"(He has the most perfect face…)" I started to get lost in my thoughts.

"I'm back, hmm." Deidara announced as he put the firewood on the ground. Kikuhana put the fire wood in the center of the logs that she had set up.

"Hatone," Deidara called.

"What?" I asked now looking at Deidara.

"Do you want to start the fire, hmm?" He asked me.

"Yeah, sure" I stood up and did a fire jutsu and spat a small ball of fire on the wood.

"Thanks, hmm."

"No problem." I said sitting back down by Itachi. Deidara sat down on one of the logs by the fire.

"Well, we're gonna need something to eat," Kikuhana said as she stood up. "I'll go catch us dinner." She said while taking out a small knife.

"Ok, hurry back." I said still focused on Itachi.

"If I'm not back in 10 minuets, come get me." Kikuhana instructed just before she left. In 3 minuets she came back with 8 fish. She cooked all of the fish over the fire. When they were done, she and Deidara started to eat, I was still with Itachi.

"Hey Hatone," Kikuhana called. "Do you want to eat?" She asked me.

"Oh," I looked up. "I'm not hungry, you and Deidara go ahead." I reassured.

"Uh, ok." Kikuhana said somewhat confused, and continued to eat. I put my head on Itachi's chest, listening to his heart beat, causing me to blush slightly. I began to feel sleepy and I closed my eyes. Within a matter of minuets, I fell asleep. My sister glanced at Itachi and me.

"Aww, Deidara look!" She said pointing at us. "That's so cute!" Kikuhana said smiling.

"Sure, whatever, hmm." Deidara said as he finished eating.

"Oh come on Deidara, that's cute." Kikuhana said to Deidara a little annoyed.

"Well, you and I have different points of view about that stuff, hmm." Deidara said.

"Like?" Kikuhana waited for him to finish.

"You're a girl, hmm…" Deidara muttered. Kiku glared at him and growled a bit.

"Whatever. It's getting late, we should get some sleep." She said lying back on the log she was sitting on.

"Yeah you're right, hmm." Deidara said lying back on the log he was sitting on.

"Good night Deidara." Kikuhana said.

"Night Kiku," Deidara responded.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

The next morning I woke up just when sunrise started. I slowly opened my eyes and noticed that I was on the ground, and Itachi was not there.

"(Wait, I fell asleep on Itachi's chest. He's not here. Then that means…)" I quickly sat up gasping and threw my hands over my mouth.

"(He knows I was cuddling up to him! This is bad, very very bad.)" I mentally panicked, but stopped when I noticed Kikuhana and Deidara were gone as well.

"Kiku and Deidara are gone too…Why would they leave me by myself? They know I become paranoid when I'm alone." I said as I started to freak out a little. "Ok, just clam down. They didn't leave you, Kiku wouldn't allow it. They'll be back soon." I began to talk to myself in hopes that it would clam me down. Suddenly, I heard someone coming from behind me. I quickly jumped into fighting stance and pulled out a weapon. The mysterious man stepped out of the bushes. I looked at his face and saw that it was Itachi, so I put my weapon away as I blushed a bit.

"Um, so how are you feeling?" I asked him while playing with my hands and looking at the ground.

"Fine….What happened yesterday?" Itachi asked me. I blushed and looked the other way.

"Uh, well, when the cliff collapsed we all fell into the river. But apparently you hit your head on a rock when we fell in and it knocked you out." I glanced up at him and remembered about the wound on his head. "Oh, I need to check on that." Itachi sat down on a log while I grabbed Kikuhana's first aid kit. I took the bandage that he already had on off and cleaned his wound. I put medicine on the wound and covered it back up with another bandage.

"It should heal after that." I said as I put the medicine back into the case.

"Oh, I almost forgot." I got up and got Itachi's headband and gave it to him. He took it from my hand and put it back on his head. I stared at Itachi for a few seconds without him noticing.

"Oh hey you're awake!" I snapped out of my daze at hearing the sound of Kiku's voice.

She walked over to me with Deidara behind her.

"Kiku, you scared me." I said looking at her.

"What, were you daydreaming again?"

"Yeah." I laughed a little.

"Thought so." She said smiling at me.

"We've wasted too much time, let's get moving." Itachi announced.

"But the sun just came up. Can't we wait a little longer?" I whispered to my sister.

"Come on." She laughed.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 **

Hours have passed by and we were still in the forest. I stopped walking, I was very tired and my legs were hurting. Kikuhana stopped and turned around to look at me.

"Is something wrong, Hatone?" She asked me. Itachi and Deidara stopped and turned around at hearing Kikuhana speak.

"I'm tired." I said sitting on a rock.

"So?" Deidara said shrugging. I sent him a small glare.

"So let's just camp here for tonight."

"Why, hmm?"

"Because Deidara, we've been walking since sunrise and sunset has just started and I'm exhausted! That's why!" I snapped at him.

"Then we'll stop, it's no big deal.." Itachi said as he leaned against the trunk of a tree.

"Why are you taking her side, hmm?" Deidara asked Itachi sounding somewhat confused.

"We shouldn't wear her out. If we get to the Cloud Village by tomorrow, and if she's too tired to fight, she won't be much help. She's a skilled fighter." Itachi finished his argument as he closed his eyes.

"Alright," Deidara said carelessly as he leaned back against a different tree.

"(Itachi…He has to care about me, even if it's just a tiny bit or he would have just kept moving.)" I thought looking at the ground as my face began to turn a light shade of pink.

"Hatone!" I heard my sister call me, snapping me out of my daze. I got up and walked over to Kikuhana, who was picking at the ground.

"Yeah what is it Kiku?" I asked looking over her shoulder.

"I need you to start a fire." She told me while picking herbs.

"What are you doing?" I asked confused.

"I'm going to make tea."

"How? You don't have a tea pot."

"And that's where you're wrong." Kikuhana said as she shuffled through her bag. "See? I brought it with me!" She said smiling. I began to laugh a little.

"I didn't know you carried tea sets around with you." I said still laughing.

"Hey, you never know. Now go start the fire please."

"Alright." I snapped off some tree branches and threw them in a pile. I then did hand signs and spat a ball of fire on the pile of branches.

"Not too bad," Itachi commented.

"Oh," I didn't realize he was watching me. "Thank you." I blushed. I walked back over to Kikuhana.

"Ok, so you got the fire going?" She asked me.

"Yeah."

"Good." Kiku did a water jutsu which created a ball of water in her hands and she put it in the tea pot. She put the herbs in the tea pot with the water and put it over the fire. I looked up and noticed that Itachi and Deidara were asleep; or at least they appeared to be.

"Hey Kiku, I'm gonna go take a bath in the river. Make sure those two stay here." I told her.

"Don't worry, I won't let them out of my sight."

"Ok, I'll be back in a bit, bye" I hugged her and left.

"Bye."

After about 10-15 minuets Kikuhana took the tea pot off the fire.

"~I should go check on Hatone.~" Kikuhana thought to herself as she stood up. She looked at Deidara and Itachi and noticed that Itachi was awake.

"Hatone went to the river a little while ago, so I'm gonna go check on her. Just stay here; I made tea if you want any." Kikuhana told him just before she left. Itachi just shrugged.

I was heading back to camp when I ran into, my sister.

"Oh hey, I was gonna come get you right now."

"Why?" she asked me.

"I found a hot spring!" I said with a smile stretched across my face.

"Really?"

"Yeah come on." I took her hand and led my sister to the hot spring I found, which wasn't too far. We finally got there and got into the water.

"This water is like lava!" Kikuhana said.

"I know. It's perfect!" We laughed.

Hey, do you think we should tell the boys?" Kikuhana asked me. My face turned pink.

"No! This is the only one I found. Maybe we can after we go back to camp."

"Uh, that's what I meant."

"Oh, well, yeah..." I said now embarrassed. Kiku and I sat there talking for a few more minuets, enjoying time to ourselves.

"It's starting to get late, do you think we should go back now?" I asked Kikuhana.

"Yeah, that would be a good idea. We don't need the boys looking for us, after all Itachi was awake when I left." My eyes widened at what my sister said.

"What? If we're gone any longer then he'll come looking for us!" I jumped out of the hot spring and quickly started getting dressed. Kikuhana laughed at how I was panicking, but she got out and got dressed too; at a much calmer pace than me. We then began making our way back to camp.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

After several minuets of walking through the forest, Kikuhana and I returned to camp.

"Where did you two go? Don't go wandering off by yourselves, that's how you got lost, hmm!" Deidara shouted, acting as if he were our older brother.

"We didn't wander off and we didn't get lost!" Kikuhana argued

"Well if you didn't get lost then why were you gone for so long, hmmm?"

"We just were, nyaaa." Kikuhana stuck her tongue out at Deidara, making him angry. While Deidara and my sister yelled at each other I ignored them and sat down by Itachi.

"So, um, when are we going to get to the Cloud Village?" I asked Itachi shyly.

"We should be there by tomorrow. That is if we don't take too many breaks." He said while gazing off into the night sky. I admired him from the corner of my eye. I hated that I could never look at his face when he was looking at me. I was always too shy and I had to look away.

"Ok…" I said quietly, staring at the ground. A few more minuets of silence passed by and no one has really said anything. Eventually everyone fell asleep without notice.

The next morning I was awoken by a slight nudge.

"Wake up, we need to get going." I heard a deep, soft voice ring in my head. I slowly opened my eyes to see Itachi looking at me. My eyes suddenly got big as I felt my face turn hot.

"Ita-chi…uh…" I stuttered not really knowing what to say. Itachi got back to his feet. I looked and saw Kikuhana and Deidara standing there as well. Kikuhana was staring at me with a big smile across her face. I knew it was from the reaction I got from being awoken by Itachi. I huffed and stood to my feet.

"Alright," Itachi began to speak. "We can't afford to waist anymore time. We need to get to the Cloud Village today." With that, we continued to go to our destination.

"(Ok, so it's been about an hour or so since we left the last camp sight. I just hope we get there so-)" My thoughts were interrupted when I crashed into Itachi. I stumbled back, almost about to fall off the tree, when Itachi swiftly caught me and pulled me back up. That of course caused me to become hot with embarrassment.

"What did we stop for?" Kikuhana asked Itachi.

"We've arrived." Itachi said looking at the gate to the village.

"Aren't there supposed to be guards, hmm?" Deidara said also looking at the gate.

"Probably," Itachi answered. Deidara decided he would go check to see if there were guards and jumped off the tree. A few minor explosions later, Deidara signaled for the three of us to come down, and we did. We began walking through the streets of the Cloud Village looking for Yugito Nii.

"Do you know what she looks like?" I asked Deidara and Itachi.

"She has blond hair, that's all I really know. But normally tailed-beast hosts are alone, hmm." Deidara responded.

"Ok, well what about her age?" I asked Deidara again.

"She an adult; probably late 20's, early 30's, hmm."

"(Ok, so we're looking for a woman that's in her late 20's, early 30's, has blond hair, and is probably alone. This couldn't be easier.)" I thought sarcastically to myself. We kept looking for her until we came upon a training field. There I saw a woman that had short blond hair who was training by herself.

"Is that her?" I said pointing to her. Itachi looked to see who I was pointing at.

"Yes, that's her. We don't need to attract too much attention, you and Kikuhana can go fight her, and knock her out, but do not kill her. Deidara and I will wait here if you need help, but I think you should be fine, she shouldn't be able to overpower you." Itachi told me.

"Right," Kikuhana nodded. We walked into the training field.

"Yugito Nii?" I asked as my sister and I approached her.

"Yes, can I help you?" She responded, but kept alert.

"You need to come with us." Kikuhana said.

"Just who are you two?" She asked suspiciously.

"That's not important." I said

"But what is important is that you come with us with no questions asked, and as painless as possible." Kikuhana said in an emotionless tone.

She threw shrunken at us which just barley missed and caught the very tip of my hair.

"I guess that means you're not gonna come without a fight…." I said closing my eyes. Kikuhana pulled her sword out. I disappeared and reappeared behind her.

"Fine then!" I punched her and sent her flying to a tree. She slowly stood back up and tried to catch her breath for a moment. She then took out a kunai (knife) and charged at me. I took out a kunai as well and blocked her attack. Kikuhana charged at Yugito and lifted her sword in the air, about to hit her. Yugito pushed me back and flipped backwards, kicking Kikuhana's sword out of her hands in the process. Kikuhana reacted quickly and grabbed the chains that were in her boots and pulled them out. She threw her chains at Yugito, wrapping them around Yugito's arms, and pulled her forward towards me. As soon as she got close enough, I punched her in the face with a chakra-powered punch, knocking her out. I picked her up and brought her to the others.

"I'm not going to carry her the whole way back. Deidara, could you make a bird?" I asked him.

"Sure, hmm." Deidara created a small clay bird and put it on the ground. He then made the bird much larger by using a jutsu of his and put Yugito on it's back.

"So why didn't you guys use any jutsu, hmm?" Deidara asked me and my sister.

"Didn't need to, she was weak." I said giving a small smile.

"Well compared to your monster strength, yes." Deidara commented, making me laugh. "Still, you could've thought of a more artistic way to finish her off, hmm." Deidara added with a smirk.

Once we were back at the Akatsuki hideout we made our reports and dropped the host off. Kikuhana and I didn't take any part in extractions or anything related to that because we weren't official members. My sister and I spent the rest of our day just relaxing and reflecting on our very first Akatsuki mission. Surely, the leader has something in mind as to why he put us on that mission in the first place. I had a feeling that there were more missions in the future.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

The temperature was nice out; nice enough to get out of the dark, stuffy cave that was the Akatsuki hideout. Sasori and I had already been sitting outside together just enjoying the nice day. Lately we didn't have time to see each other. He was put on a number of missions the past month, and of course I just went on my first Akatsuki mission two weeks ago. It made me happy to be spending time with Sasori again.

"Well my personal opinion of art is, you're not right, and you're not wrong. Everyone has a different view of art, some people like this style, others like that style. I mean sure, there are some styles of art that I like more than others, but you can never really be wrong when it comes to art. As long as you put your heart into whatever it is you're making, it's art." I said to Sasori while looking at the clouds in the sky.

"You know, that is a really good way of putting it." Sasori commented.

"And you have to have a good understanding of what something artistic is. Being observant really helps too," I added.

"I have a question. If you say you can't be wrong, then why do you always tell Deidara he's wrong?" Sasori asked while looking at me.

"Because I just love seeing the look on his face!" I laughed. "And you do have the better opinion Sasori." I said smiling at him.

"Thanks." Sasori said smiling a little. I liked to have conversations about art with Sasori because I've always loved art. Unlike Deidara who thought his opinion was the only one that mattered, Sasori would actually listen. I was about to continue with my discussion until a new voice interrupted.

"Hey, Hatone! The leader wants to see you." I heard Kisame call.

"Huh? What does leader want with me?" I blinked; confused as I looked at the direction where Kisame was.

"I don't know, you better go find out." Sasori told me.

"Yeah, I guess so." I sighed and hopped of the rock Sasori and I were sitting on. "I guess I'll see you in a bit. Bye Sasori." I waved at him as I went back into the hideout.

"Bye Hatone." He waved once back at me as he rested his cheek in his palm.

I walked into leader's office and noticed Itachi was standing there. Two steps into the room and I already started to feel uneasy.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" Itachi barley glanced over his shoulder at hearing the sound of my voice. A dark, shadowy hologram, which was Pein, fixed his eyes on me.

"Yes. Since you did well on your last mission, I have assigned you to assist Itachi on a new mission."

"Another mission?" My heart jumped. "Will Kikuhana come?" I asked with a tone of confusion, and slight nervousness in my voice.

"No, just you and Itachi."

_I'm going to be on a mission with Itachi alone?_ I thought as I stood there in silence.

"As you know, a former member of the Akatsuki, Orochimaru left years ago. When he left, he took the ring that shows you're a member of the Akatsuki with him. So, it is your mission to go to Orochimaru's hideout and take back the Akatsuki ring. Hatone, I heard that you, your sister, and some ninja from the Leaf Village went to Orochimaru's hideout 3 years ago. Because you know what to expect, this should be easy enough for you. You may leave." Pein instructed. Itachi and I walked out of Pein's office.

"Get whatever you need; we'll leave in 5 minuets." Itachi said looking ahead of him.

"Okay…" I mumbled as I left to my room to get my supplies.

"I can't believe this is actually happening! Kikuhana and I have almost never been put on separate missions; probably only twice in the ninja lives! And what makes the situation even more uncomforting is that I'm going on this mission with Itachi. _Itachi._ Why couldn't he have chosen Sasori, Deidara, or Kisame? I actually talk to them, and I don't feel anxious around them." I talked to myself out loud, one of the many things I did on average, as I packed my supplies. "And why does it even have to be Orochimaru's hideout? I've only been there once and that place gave me the extreme creeps! Just because I've been there before won't make it easier…" I mumbled the last part just as I finished packing. I grabbed my bag and slung it over my shoulders. I opened the door, only to see my older sister standing there like she was about to enter the room.

"Oh good, you're here." Kikuhana said as she walked up to me. "I was gonna go train and I need someone to spar with." She said as she began dragging me away.

"Kiku, I can't train right now, I have to go on a mission." I said while still being dragged off by my sister. She stopped and faced me.

"What do you mean a mission?" She asked confused, furrowing her eyebrows together.

"Yeah, a mission. Pein assigned me to a new mission."

"Alone?" She asked even more confused.

"No, I'm going with Itachi." I said quietly with my hands behind my back.

"Ohhh, so you and Itachi are finally getting some alone time." Kikuhana teased me, causing me to blush.

"Stop doing that!" I said laughing. "You honestly have no idea how horrified I am right now..." I muttered. I looked from the corner of my eye and saw Itachi leaving the hideout.

"I gotta go, bye sissy." I hugged her and ran out of the cave after Itachi. _Hopefully this mission will go very smoothly. I couldn't bare it if something embarrassing happened and Kiku wasn't there for me to get my mind off it._ I had no idea what to expect for this mission. I was hoping dearly that it wouldn't be nearly as bad as I was imagining.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Itachi and I found ourselves walking in a forest about fifteen minuets after we left the hideout, and neither one of us had said anything.

_Why is it that every time I'm alone with Itachi there's this awkward silence? I'm too shy around him; I just need to start talking to him normally. But every time he looks at me I look away…_ I mentally complained to myself.

"Hatone," Itachi called. My heart jumped when he said my name.

"Yes..?" I responded, looking up at him.

"You've been to Orochimaru's hideout before, how long will it take to get there?" He asked me while staring straight ahead.

"Um, about a day." I said looking at the ground.

A of couple hours had passed by until we came across a town.

"Oh no…" I said out loud.

"What's wrong?" Itachi asked with his eyes fixed on me.

"It's this town. It's… it's just a bad town." I held onto my right arm, cringing at the memory when I first passed through here a few years back. "It'll take too long to go around, probably another day. We'll have to go straight through." I regretted the words as they left my mouth. As we began walking through the town, all eyes were on Itachi and me. I shuddered as I tried to ignore all the creepy stares we were getting. Whenever newcomers would pass through, they were eyed like bait on a hook and the townspeople were like piranhas.

_I hate this disgusting place!_ I mentally shouted as I hugged myself. Itachi just ignored everything. I walked as close to Itachi as I could without actually touching him. You could feel the intimidation in the air, like needles on your skin. The piercing eyes that stared, the whispering and muttering that sounded like snakes, it was all horrible. I felt eyes drilling holes into different parts of my body, which started to make my skin crawl. I felt my nervous ticks start to kick in. I kept one arm wrapped around my torso while I started to scratch the back and sides of my head. I began to nervously fiddle with the locks of hair around my face. I kept my head down low and allowed my waist-length hair to act as a curtain, hiding my face from the others. I didn't want to look up, the town frightened me too much. I just kept watching Itachi's feet; hoping and wishing we'd get out of that town.

After what seemed to be the longest thirty minutes of my life, we made it out.

_Finally!_ I rejoiced in my head. "I'm actually kind of surprised." I began to speak aloud. Itachi glanced back at me. "The last time I was here some of my teammates ran into trouble but this time there was no—AAAAHHHH!" I was cut off when someone jumped out of nowhere, grabbed me, threw me over his shoulder, and ran off. Unlike my normal speaking voice, my scream was very high-pitched. After that scream, I couldn't do anything. I felt another yell in my throat, but I couldn't let it out even though I desperately wanted to. I wanted to kick and squirm and punch, but my body didn't respond. It was like one of those dreams where you're yelling at yourself to do something but your body won't allow it. _Move! Move! Scream, punch, do something! _I lied limply over my kidnapper's shoulder with wide eyes. Itachi suddenly appeared a branch ahead of the man and kicked him, which sent him flying back, and releasing me in the process. Itachi caught me and placed me down on the tree branch beside him. Itachi then did hand signs and spat out a giant ball on the man who tried to kidnap me, and set him on fire. I was still sitting in the same spot Itachi put me in with my eyes widened. My heart pounded fast and hard. My knees and hands slightly shook. Itachi walked over to me and stared down at me.

"Are you alright?" He asked. I barley shook my head. Itachi came to realization that I was in shock.

Suddenly, I felt Itachi's arms wrap around me and lift me up as he started to walk.

_He's carrying me...!_ I thought as I blushed. His chest and arms were comforting and warm. I felt my muscles start to loosen up and I wasn't as stiff anymore. Within a matter of minuets, I fell asleep with Itachi carrying me in his arms.

* * *

I slowly fluttered my eyes open to see a warm fire. I glanced around, still lying on the floor, and noticed that I was still in the forest, only it was nighttime. There was something warm over me that I was gripping with my left hand. I looked down and saw Itachi's Akatsuki cloak over me like a blanket. I sat up and the collar tilted towards my face; it smelled like him. I blushed a bit and glanced at the fire. The orange and yellow colors glowed on its surroundings. I switched my gaze to the sky and saw that it was covered in stars with the full moon glowing brightly in the center of the sky.

"It's so beautiful…" I said softly. I heard noises coming from the bushes behind me. I turned around and saw Itachi.

"So you're awake." He said glancing at me.

"Yeah…" I felt somewhat embarrassed and took off the cloak to give it back to him. When I looked at his face I caught a perfect view of his eyes. They were beautiful, matching the midnight sky. Itachi then put is hand on my forehead without any warning, causing my face to turn red.

"You probably have a fever. We should rest here for tonight." He said pulling his hand away.

"I think it's just the fire." I lied as I glanced away. "I can still go on." I added a bit nervously.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, we're almost there anyway."

"Alright then." I got up to my feet and put the fire out, and began walking again.

Not too much longer, we found Orochimaru's hideout.

"That's it." I said staring at the hideout. "The last time I was here there were only two people; Orochimaru and Kabuto. The hideout is filled with traps at every step, what should we do?" I asked Itachi while looking up at him.

"Stay with me, then."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Itachi and I walked into Orochimaru's hideout, very alert of our surroundings. When we first walked into the hideout, we walked down a case of spiral stairs. The hideout was dark, quiet, and dimly lit by candles. I didn't like the eerie vibe the place gave. Once we were down the stairs, we came to an area that split three ways.

"Which way do you think we should go?" I asked Itachi, looking up at him.

"The middle." He responded. As we began walking down the dark, gloomy hall, a section of the floor beneath my feet opened up. As I began to fall I opened my mouth to scream but stopped when I felt someone grab my wrist. I looked down at the deep, dark, hole that I was about to fall in, which seemed to lead to nowhere. I then looked up and saw Itachi hanging onto my wrist. I used my other hand to grab Itachi's arm and started pulling myself up as he pulled me up also. He pulled me close. I looked up at his face and stared into his midnight black eyes.

"Are you alright?" He asked looking at my face.

"Ye-yeah, I'm fine." I replied blushing, and still staring into his eyes. Suddenly, I remembered, three years back, Naruto activated this same trap. My eyes shot open.

"Get out of the way!" I shouted as I pushed Itachi forward just before a wall came slamming down from the ceiling. Itachi and I were sitting on the floor in silence until Itachi broke it.

"How did you know that was coming?" He asked, looking at my direction.

"Nar—I ran into that same trap the last time I was here." I replied looking at the floor. We got back to our feet and I lead the way. We came around a corner only to see more of the dark, and what appeared to be endless, hallway. As we continued to walk through the dimly lit path, I kept watch at the walls, and ceiling for anything suspicious. I then tripped and fell on the ground. I thought it was my feet I tripped over, but I looked and saw a trip wire. My eyes widened as I stared at the wire.

"That can't be good…" I said out loud. Suddenly, shuriken rapidly began shooting out from the ceiling. Itachi swiftly scooped me up and ran from the falling shuriken.

He out ran the shuriken until they finally stopped falling, and he placed me back down. I looked at Itachi. I wanted to say something to him, but I wasn't quite sure what to say. Itachi was looking straight ahead of himself. I followed his gaze and noticed a giant door right in front of us.

Itachi grabbed the door handle and pulled the door open. We walked in a checked our surroundings. This room seemed different, like there were no traps, but there most defiantly a sense of danger.

"I'll go look over here." I told Itachi, pointing to the right. I walked around searching for the ring, when I found another smaller door. I opened it and peeked my head in. There didn't appear to be anyone inside, so I walked in, leaving the door open. This room was much smaller, there was a desk, unknown items sat on shelves on the walls, and there was a large chair against the back wall.

_This most likely is where Orochimaru spends most of his time when he's here. The ring has got to be in this room. I better search it quickly before someone shows up._ I thought as I began moving stuff around. I walked up to the desk and began searching though it.

"That's it." I said to myself as I reached for the ring.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" I heard a voice say. My eyes widened, I knew who the voice belonged to.

"Kabuto…" I muttered as I clenched my fist.

"You guessed right." He chuckled evilly. I turned around and saw him leaning against the wall.

"Hatone," he began to speak. "It's been what? Three years?" I snarled at the mocking tone in his voice.

"Like it matters… I was hoping that three years ago was the last time I would ever have to look at you stupid face!" I growled as I clenched my fist tighter.

"Now is that any way to talk to your old friend?" He snickered.

"Shut up!" I snapped.

"It sure looks like your temper has gotten even more out of control than I remember." He hit a nerve with me because truthfully, he was right. I had a hard time controlling my temper and he just made me furious every time I saw him.

"That's it!" I charged at him and aimed to punch him in the face, but he dogged it. He activated his medical ninjutsu and began throwing punches at me, but missed them all. I grabbed him by the collar of his shirt kicked him in the gut, and followed it with an uppercut. It took him a second to catch his breath and then he tripped me. While on the ground, I tried sweeping my leg under his feet to trip him as well, but missed. I jumped back to my feet, and Kabuto hit me hard in the stomach, knocking all the air out of me, and causing me to spit out some blood. I fell to my knees trying to get air. Kabuto came at me with another attack, but Itachi appeared in front of me and kicked Kabuto back.

"What? Itachi Uchiha?" Kabuto stared in shock. He snapped out of his state of shock and ran at Itachi with an attack. Itachi shut his eyes and reopened them, activating his Sharingan, and stared directly at Kabuto. Kabuto immediately became trapped in Itachi's genjutsu and passed out. Itachi deactivated his Sharingan and turned around and got by my side.

"What happened?" He asked looking at me.

"I got hit in the stomach; it just knocked the air out of me. I'll be fine." I said still breathing heavy. I slowly got back to my feet. I walked back over to the desk and picked up the ring.

"I got the ring. Now let's get out of here before anything else happens." I said. Itachi looked at the corner far back in the room and saw a door. He opened it and looked at me.

"It leads outside. Come on."

Itachi and I made it back to the Akatsuki hideout in just a few hours and gave the ring to Pein. I went back to my room, tired from the mission.

"I'm exhausted." I said to myself. "I think I'll just sleep for the rest of the day." I flopped onto the bed and closed my eyes. The door opened after a few moments of dead silence. Kikuhana was standing in the doorframe.

"You're back," she smiled as she closed the door behind herself.

"Yeah,"

"So how did it go?" She asked while sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Eh, it was pretty rough." I replied as I rubbed the back of my neck.

"Did you run into any traps that we did last time we were there?"

"Yeah, almost all of them." I answered. I paused as kept my gaze at the ceiling. "I ran into Kabuto…" My voice grew stern. Kikuhana's eyes flashed towards me. "It was a short encounter, we fought a little." I added.

"What did he want?" She asked.

"I don't know. That little worm is always trying to get information out of people even if we don't know what it is." I narrowed my eyes.

"Well, try to keep your mind off it, Hatone. The mission is over and you can relax." My sister smiled warmly at me as she finished her sentence. I took her words to heart, but the problem was I couldn't relax. Seeing Kabuto again, walking into the environment where Orochimaru lurks, it all made me uneasy.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

It's been two weeks after Itachi and I went to Orochimaru's hideout, I was laying on my bed in my room, lost in deep thought.

_Why did Orochimaru leave the Akatsuki? I'm not sure, but I think it had something to do with Itachi…If so, then why?_ I sighed as I rolled over on my side. _There are so many questions I have that I want answered! Why did Orochimaru leave the Akatsuki? What is the history of the Akatsuki; how, when, and why it was started? But, the most important thing; Itachi's past. When Kikuhana and I lived in the Leaf Village Sasuke said that after Itachi killed the Uchihas he told Sasuke his reason was he wanted to test his strength. _A look of anger appeared across my face as I sat up on the bed. "No! He wouldn't do that! There IS a reason why, and it's not because he wanted to test his strength. I don't know why he did, but there is a reason, and I have to find out what it is. But…I can't just walk up to him and ask him." I let out a frustrated sigh and fell back on the bed again. I stared at the ceiling for a few moments. "Maybe Deidara would know about Orochimaru?" I wondered. "Wait, no, he wouldn't. Deidara joined a while _after_ Orochimaru left…." I laid there in silence until I remembered something. "Sasori's first partner was Orochimaru! I'll go ask him." I jumped off the bed and left the room to go find Sasori. As I walked through the halls I passed by Deidara.

"Hey, where are you going, hmm?" He asked me.

"To talk to Sasori," I responded.

"About what, hmm?"

"Uh, just stuff. I'm kind of board and I don't really have anyone to talk to."

"Well where's your sister, hmm? Don't you two always talk weather you're board or not?"

"Yeah…but I want to talk about art." I said quickly. Deidara smirked.

"You can talk about that with him all you want, but art will always be a blast, hmm." I couldn't help but smirk back.

"Uh-huh, whatever you say Deidara, bye-bye!" I said as I walked past him, waving.

"Bye, hmm," He responded as he kept walking. I walked up to Sasori's room and knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" I heard Sasori ask from inside the room.

"It's Hatone," I replied.

"Come in," I turned the handle and opened the door.

"Hi Sasori," I said smiling at him while closing the door behind me. He looked up from his puppet work and smiled back at me.

"Hey Hatone," he greeted. I glanced around the room; I had never really been in Sasori's room before. It was no surprise the most of the walls were covered by unfinished puppets. There were shelves with puppet parts and tools. Normally being inside a room like this would freak me out, but this was different. I was more... intrigued.

"Not to sound rude, but is there something you wanted to talk to me about?" He asked looking at me from the corner of his eye.

"Oh yeah, there is." I started to rub my wrist, trying to calm the nervousness I was feeling. I was always afraid to ask certain questions; that maybe I would end up asking something too personal. "I was kind of hoping… would you would tell me about Orochimaru?" I asked with a bit of hesitation. Sasori paused and turned around and looked at me with a puzzled expression on his face.

"Ok…but why do you want me to tell you about him?" He asked in confusion.

"Well, Kiku and I have encountered him a few times before. I mean we've heard stories about him and stuff, but I know that he used to be your partner before he left; so I figured that you would know a little more about him."

"Oh," Sasori's expression turned back to normal. "Ok, what do you want to know?"

"Well, why did he leave the Akatsuki?"

"Because of Itachi,"

_I knew it had something to do with Itachi._ I thought to myself. "What do you mean by that?" I asked placing my hands in my lap.

"You know that Orochimaru tried, or is trying to become immortal by getting a new body every few years, right?"

"Yeah, I've heard something about him doing that." I answered.

"Well, shortly after Itachi joined the Akatsuki, Orochimaru tried to take his body. Guess how that worked out for him?"

"Not so well,"

"Exactly," Sasori smirked a bit. "And because his attempt to take Itachi's body didn't work, he left. Does that answer that question?"

"Yes, it helped a lot, thanks." I said smiling at him.

"No problem, do you want to know anything else?"

"Not at the moment, that was really the only question I had." I stood up the chair and started walking backwards to the door. "Ok well, I'll let you continue with your work, thanks again for answering my question." I said with my hand on the door knob.

"No trouble at all, I'll see you later."

"Bye Sasori," I said walking out the door.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

I was lying on my bed in my room lost in thought. I glanced over at the window and got off the bed. I pushed the window up, letting the sunshine and fresh air in the room. I stuck my head out and allowed the soft breeze to play with my hair a bit.

"It's so nice out." I smiled pleasantly. "There's a cool breeze, the air smells clean, the sky is filled with white clouds, it's beautiful today." I brought my head back inside the room. "I wonder where Kiku ran off to…" I closed the window and locked it. I slipped my ninja sandals back on just before I headed to the door.

My first stop was the kitchen to see if Kikuhana was there, she wasn't. I went around all of the rooms in the Akatsuki where I thought she would be, but I couldn't find her.

"Did she vanish?" I asked myself while scratching the back of my head. I looked off to the left and saw Kisame. "Hey Kisame," I called while walking up to him.

"Oh hi Hatone," He greeted me.

"You haven't seen my sister around, have you?" I asked looking up at the tall shark-man. Kisame laughed.

"Kiku came up to me and asked me that exact same question abut you a few minuets ago." I paused.

"Really?"

"Yeah, really." I laughed a little at the irony.

"Do you know which direction she went?"

"Yeah, she went down the hall that way." Kisame said pointing in a direction.

"Ok, thanks. I'll see you around." I said walking down the hall and waving at Kisame. The hallway I was walking through lead right back the room I shared with my sister. I stopped at the door and opened it. I looked in the room and saw Kikuhana lying casually on the bed.

"Where did you go?" I asked her as I closed the door behind me.

"Looking for you," she answered sitting up on the edge of the bed. "Where did _you_ go?" She asked me.

"Looking for you," I laughed.

"Which room were you in?" my sister questioned.

"I was here, what about you?"

"I was in the kitchen."

"The first place I went to look for you was the kitchen!"

"And I went in here to look for you after I left the kitchen!" The two of us burst out into laughter.

"Isn't it funny how that happens?" We both said at the exact same time, making us laugh even more.

"We always say something at the same time and we don't even try. How that happens, I will never know." Kikuhana said while letting out a few more laughs

"I know, right?" I said while also getting the rest of the laughter out of my system. "So anyway, I wanted to ask you if you want to go for a walk." I asked her.

"Sure, let me just put on my boots and we can go." She said while reaching for her boots.

"Yeah, shoes might help." I giggled a little. Kiku quickly slipped her boots on and we were out the door.

We managed to get out of the Akatsuki hideout without making too much noise. We got into the forest, while enjoying the cool fresh air.

"How are you?" Kikuhana asked, breaking the brief silence

"I'm pretty good. It's really nice today, so I wanted to go outside." I said looking up at the giant trees.

"Yeah same here. And I'm the one who likes to stay inside." She laughed. "Sooo," She twirled on her heal in front of me and started walking backwards. "Have you told him yet?" She asked with a teasing smile on her face.

"Told who what?" I asked confused. She stared at me with a blank expression on her face.

"You know what I mean, Hatone." I thought for a moment and then my face turned pink.

"NO!" My reaction made Kiku laugh.

"Are you sure about that? I mean you were just on a mission with him… alone." She smirked and put extra emphasis on the last word.

"Kiku, if I told him then you'd be the first to know."

"No, I would be the second to know, Itachi would be the first." She pointed out.

"Ok, _other _than Itachi, you'd be the first to know." I corrected. Kikuhana turned around and walked beside me again instead of in front of me walking backwards.

"Ok, but when?"

"Huh?"

"When are you going to tell Itachi your feelings?" I blushed at hearing those words.

"I…I don't know, when I feel the time is ready…"

"Well the sooner you tell him the better."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because, I want to know if he feels the same way about you, that you feel about him." She said smiling. I blushed more and remained silent. "Like you've never wondered if he likes you too." She said looking at me.

"Well of course I have, but it's just...if he does feel the same, then what would happen from that point on?" I asked out loud.

"Look, who knows what will happen in the future. One day, you'll tell him. Not now, not tomorrow, but one day. You don't have to rush into it, I'm just teasing you. Don't worry about the future, just worry about what's going on now. Do you get what I'm saying?" Kikuhana clarified.

"Yeah, I know what you mean."

"Good," She smiled. I smiled back at her.

It was then when we decided that we had been out walking for long enough and we should head back.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

It was about lunch time so Kikuhana and I scavenged around in the kitchen for something to eat.

"Nope! Nothing's in here but a bunch of sauces." Kiku said some what frustratingly while closing the refrigerator door.

"And nothing's in the pantry but dust." I said sarcastically and in an annoyed tone. "I'm hungry!" I whined as I turned around to face my sister.

"So am I. But because Kakauzu is such a money hog we can never go out to buy anything we need. Like food!" Kiku complained while folding her arms across her chest.

"I know!" My stomach growled loudly. Both my sister and I always became grouchy whenever we became hungry; especially if there was no food in the place.

"There has to be something we can eat." Kiku pondered for a moment and got an idea.

"We could ask Sasori and Deidara to take us to a restaurant." She suggested.

"It's worth a shot." We explored the Akatsuki hideout in search of Sasori and Deidara until we found them outside. They both looked up and focused their attention to us.

"What is it, hmm?" Deidara asked the two of us. I turned to Kikuhana.

"You ask," I muttered to her. She rolled her eyes at me.

"We wanted to ask you if you could take us somewhere to eat because there's no food here." Kiku said bluntly.

"Yeah, I don't see why not." Sasori responded with a little smile.

"Sure, it's pretty boring around here anyway, hmm." Deidara said shrugging.

Kiku and I thanked them both with smiling faces. We all went back inside for a moment to change out of our ninja attire and into more casual wear. Then, the four of us went off to the nearest town which was 30 minuets away from the Akatsuki. When we arrived at the town we went in the first restaurant we spotted. The four of us sat down at a table, Kiku and I sat next to each other, and across from us were Sasori and Deidara.

"Do you know what you want, hmm?" Deidara asked.

"A big plate of sushi!" Kikuhana responded with a grin spread wide across her face.

"Ok, and how about you, Hatone?" The redhead glanced at me.

"Ramen," I responded. A waitress came by our table and gave everyone a friendly smile.

"What can I get everyone to drink?" She asked looking around the table.

"4 cups of hot tea," Sasori responded to the waitress. "Ok, I'll be right back with that." She chirped as she walked towards the kitchen. Kikuhana watched the waitress walk away with an observed look. Deidara noticed Kiku's expression.

"What's the matter, hmm?" He asked her.

"Nothing," Kiku replied, snapping out of her daze. "She just seems kind of… overly happy."

"What do you mean by that, hmm?"

"It's not important, don't worry about it."

"Okay…" Deidara said a bit confused. The waitress came back and placed 4 cups of hot tea beside everyone.

"Ok, is everyone ready to order?" She asked pulling out a pen and pad.

"I would like pork ramen." I answered.

"I would like sushi." Kikuhana responded.

"I'll have dumplings," Deidara said.

"And what can I get for you?" The waitress asked Sasori, smiling at him and tucking her hair behind her ear.

"I don't want anything, thank you." Sasori said politely. The waitress frowned.

"Ok, well if you change your mind let me know and I'll be happy to get it for you." She said while lightly placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Yep, I was right." Kiku said aloud with a half smile. Sasori, Deidara and I stared at her confused.

"About what, hmm?" Deidara asked.

"She likes Sasori." I stared at my sister and blinked. "The waitress, she likes Sasori."

"What makes you say that?" Sasori asked her.

"I know these types of things. It's pretty obvious anyway."

"Yeah, now that you mention it, it is." I said while thinking back.

"How?" Sasori and Deidara asked looking at us.

"Just watch the next time she comes." Kikuhana giggled. Just as she said that, the waitress came by with a tray of food. She placed the plates of food in front of the people who ordered them and turned back to Sasori. She brushed her shoulder length, sandy brown hair behind her ear again.

"Are you sure there isn't anything I can get you?" She asked Sasori while giving him a slightly flirtatious smile. She placed her hand on his shoulder again. I stuffed a mouthful of noodles into my mouth to keep myself from laughing.

"No thank you." He replied. The waitress walked away.

"See?" Kiku said giving a small grin.

"No." Sasori and Deidara both answered.

"Ok, that whole touching you on the shoulder thing, that's defiantly a sign. When waiters or waitresses get too 'touchy-feely' with the customers that usually means they're flirting." I explained, laughing bit.

"I guess girls are better at spotting that kind of stuff than guys, hmm" Deidara commented.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure." Kiku laughed.

It was a pleasant little meal; getting to spend some time with Sasori and Deidara. Getting out of the hideout was good too. After we left the restaurant, the four of us took our time walking back to the Akatsuki.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Kikuhana and I were in our room talking to each other.

"Hey, when was the last time we saw Itachi?" My sister asked me lying on her back and staring at the ceiling.

"I don't know about you, but the last time I saw him was when I went on that mission with him." I responded.

"Oh yeah that's right, I saw you two leave." She remembered. "That was what… three weeks ago?"

"Yeah," I pouted. "I just wanna see him again." I said lying back on the bed.

"Aww, my little sister is crazy for a guy who barley even knows she exists, so cute!" She said in a teasing tone.

"Shut up he knows I exist!" I smirked as I grabbed a pillow and hit her with it playfully. Kiku grabbed her pillow and through it at me. We continued our pillow fight until we got tired.

"I'm bored now." Kiku suddenly announced.

"Ok, well what do you wanna do?" I asked her.

"I'm not sure. Let's go walk around until we find something to do."

"Ok." We walked out of our room and into the living room. I glanced over at the entrance and I saw Itachi leaving. Kikuhana looked at me and followed my gaze to see what I was staring at.

"Was that Itachi?" She asked.

"Yeah, it was…Umm, I'm gonna try to talk to him, ok?" I told her with slight hesitation in my voice. Kiku stared at me for a moment before she spoke.

"Ok. I'll probably bug Deidara until you get back." She said. I laughed.

"Have fun with that."

"Oh I will."

"I'll see you in a bit, bye." I waved at her before walking out the entrance and into the forest.

_He can't be out that far. I wonder what he's doing out here anyway. _I thought to myself. I kept walking until I could hear the sound of multiple kunais being thrown at trees. I walked a bit further until I saw Itachi. I felt my heart skip a beat.

_I haven't seen him in a while. What should I say to him? I probably should've thought that through…_ My thoughts were interrupted when a kunai hit the tree beside me, making me jump. _He knows I'm here!_ I turned around, about to leave and came face to face with Itachi. I blushed and stuttered.

"Hi." I finally said.

"What are you doing out here by yourself?" He asked me.

"I came out here looking for you…" I embarrassingly admitted while looking at the ground and playing with my hands. He took the kunai out of the tree.

"Would you like to train with me?" Itachi asked me. I looked up with my eyes wide and blushed.

"Y-yes."

I walked into the open field where Itachi was training.

"Your Kekkei Genkai allows you to copy other Kekkei Genkai, correct?" Itachi asked.

"Yes," I replied. "But, I don't have it. Not every one in my clan has the Kekkei Genkai… it jumps around." I said the last part a bit quietly. "Kiku has it, though."

"Alright. However, I have noticed that you've used fire ninjutsus before."

"Yeah, when I use ninjutsu I mostly use fire-based ones." I kept glancing at the floor whenever I spoke to him.

"Would you like me to teach you how to control it better?"

"Yes." I said a little too quickly. "If you don't mind." I remembered that the Uchiha clan specialized in fire jutsus; therefore Itachi would be one of the best at it.

"First, show me what you know." Itachi instructed. A large spike of nervousness pulsed through me. I stepped back, trying to focus and concentrate my chakra. Knowing that Itachi was watching me didn't make me calm at all. I preformed the basic hand signs to do a fire jutsu. My hands shook slightly which made me worry if it would affect the jutsu. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before spitting a fairly large stream of fire onto a bare spot in the grass. In the middle of the jutsu, I choked and started coughing, spitting little embers of fire out. My face was hot with embarrassment.  
"I'm sorry," I apologized as I tried to clear my throat.

_She always seemed to do fine with the jutsu when she thought I wasn't watching._ Itachi observed.

"Here," Itachi swiftly and gracefully moved behind me. He took my wrists and held them up in front of my chest. I felt him leaning close to me and I could feel the muscles of his chest against my back. My eyes were wide with surprise and my face was burning. "Try to keep your hands steady when you do the hand signs." Itachi's deep voice was soft and smooth; I could feel his breath on the back of my head. My heart pounded hard and my ears throbbed. Itachi positioned my hands into the first sign. "Move into the next sign swiftly, but don't rush it. Let it flow," he moved my hands into the second sign. I tried to pay close attention to what he was teaching me, but it was very hard to concentrate with him behind me, so close to me like that. He moved my hands into all four hand signs slowly to show me how they were supposed to go. After he did that a few times, he moved my hands faster into the signs. "Do you think you can try it on your own?" Itachi asked while turning his head slightly towards my ear. I shivered a bit, hoping that he didn't catch that. I nodded my head, afraid that I would stutter if I spoke. Itachi let go of my hands and walked around in front of me so that he could watch me. I was able to perform the signs smoothly, but not nearly as fast as he was.

"Better," Itachi told me. "Now try the jutsu." I nodded and closed my eyes to concentrate. I was a bit calmer than I had been before, which gave me hope that it wouldn't fail this time. I breathed fire into the same spot I did before. I didn't choke, I wasn't shaking. I ended the jutsu and nervously glanced over at Itachi.

"You did well," Itachi told me as he walked closer to me. I thanked him and started to move towards him, without realizing how close together my feet were. I tripped over my left foot and crashed into Itachi, knocking both of us over. I saw that I was on top of him and blushed badly.

"I-I'm so sorry! I'm a r-really big klutz and a trip a l-lot. I'm sorry!" I apologized nervously, embarrassed and stuttering.

"It's fine, don't worry about it." Itachi said. I looked down still embarrassed, and not realizing Itachi was looking at me. I looked at him from the corner of my eye.

_Why is he staring at me like that?_ Itachi looked at the sky as the sun just began to set.

"Let's stop for today." He said to me.

"Ok." I said as I stroked a lock of my hair.

The two of us climbed up a giant tree and sat on a branch watching the sunset.

I looked up at Itachi and blushed. I was in deep thought of a decision.

_This moment is perfect. He even asked me to train with him. The way he took the time to show me how to properly do the jutsu, I'd never seen him do anything like that._ I made up my mind with what to do and took a deep breath.

"Itachi..?"

"Yes?" He answered with his gaze on the sunset.

"I have something that I really need to say."

"I'm listening." He said. I took in another breath as I could already feel my heart starting to race. I was absolutely terrified of what to think or how to say it, so I just kept my gaze locked on the tree branch. I leaned my right side against the tree itself and kept my left hand on the branch.

"I…get certain feelings when I'm around you. I get butterflies in my stomach, and I can't breathe, my heart races and pounds, and I blush…a lot. I get chills all through my body, and I feel light headed. I get really nervous, and I can almost never make eye contact with you. I'm a shy person, and I always have been, so I'm used to feeling shy and nervous around people. I find it hard to talk calmly around certain people. I can't help any of it. You're always on my mind, and there's nothing I can do to get you out of my head no matter how hard I try. At first I thought it was just my shyness. I act awkwardly and nervously around you because I don't know what to say without feeling embarrassed on some level. I thought it would all pass and I would start to feel normal around you, but I never did. I…I've never felt this way about anyone before. So basically… what I'm trying to say is …I'm in love with you, Itachi." I blushed madly, I felt dizzy, there was a huge knot in my throat, I didn't know what was coming next now that those words were out there.

"I never thought someone like you would fall in love with someone like me." Itachi finally spoke after a long pause. I barley glanced up at him through my hair, still blushing.

"W-what do you mean by that?" I asked nervously.

"I find it hard to trust people. I usually never let anyone get close to me, but you're different. I never knew why, but I felt like I could trust you. I've been thinking a lot about you lately, and those feelings you have for me, I notice I have most of them for you too.

Your shyness, it gives you a sense of innocence which I find… I don't know how else to put it but, appealing. I like it when you're around. Your presence, it's …calming. These feelings are all new to me. Now that you've said it I guess I could say…" He paused to look at my stunned face. "That I'm falling in love with you, Hatone." I was in total shock and I didn't know what to say at all. Itachi paused for a moment and then put his hand on my cheek. He brushed a lock of my long orange hair behind my ear. Itachi slid his hand to my chin and lifted my head. My chocolate brown eyes locked with his midnight black eyes. Itachi then began leaning closer to me, his soft gaze was warm and inviting. My face grew hotter and hotter as my heart pounded faster and harder. I scooted back against the trunk of the tree and started to feel my muscles lock. He kept leaning in until I felt his lips press softly to mine. My eyes were as wide as they could be and my face was flushed pink. I had long waited this moment, but I was too stunned to think. The feeling of him kissing me made my head spin. The sun had just finished setting by that time. He slowly pulled back and softly smiled at me.

"I- I don't know what to say…" I said still in shock. Itachi gave me a little smile.

"It's fine, your expression says it all." He looked at the sky and back to me. "We should probably go back before it gets dark." Itachi said.

"Yeah…okay…" I said still shocked by what just happened.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

My head was still spinning. The walk back to the Akatsuki hideout was silent and, for me, _**very **_awkward. Once inside, I made a dash for my room. I opened the door, walked inside, closed the door behind me and slid down the door letting out a sigh. Kikuhana stopped whatever she was doing and looked at me strangely.

"Are you ok?" She asked with one eyebrow raised. I opened my eyes to look at her.

"Yeah, everything's fine." I replied with a smile on my face.

"What happened?" She asked suspiciously.

"Nothing," I lied.

"You're smiling; you wouldn't be smiling like that if nothing happened."

"I don't know what you mean."

"Hatone, we're sisters, I've known you long enough to know when you're lying." She said becoming more serious. I paused.

"Ok, ok," the blush on my cheeks returned and a large smile stretched across my face. "You just have to keep it down, ok?" I told her. She nodded and leaned close.

I explained everything that happened. I found myself slurring and talking fast through some of the more detailed parts when he was helping me with the hand signs. Kiku would then force me to slow down and say the sentence again. I kept blushing and giggling through the story, which made it seem longer. I finally finished telling her what happened and awaited her reaction.

"You're lying," Kikuhana replied and leaned back. By her poker-face, I could tell that she didn't believe me.

"No! Kiku, I wouldn't lie about this if it actually happened….which it **did**!" I tried to convince her. I noticed a smirk creeping up in the corner of Kiku's mouth.

"So, Itachi really kissed you and told you he has feelings for you?" She asked, still with the half smile. I nodded.

"Awwwwww, I can't wait to tell Sasori and Deidara!" She cooed. My eyes widened.

"Kiku! You can't tell anyone about it!"

"I know, I'm just messing with you." She said laughing. I smiled at her.

"You will keep this a secret, right?"

"Yeah, I will." She said nodding.

"Promise?" I asked her holding out my pinky.

"Promise." She locked her pinky with mine. We smiled at each other and laughed. I turned around and looked at the clock.

"It's getting late, do you want to go to bed?" I asked my sister.

"Yeah, might as well catch up on our sleep we haven't been getting for the past few days."

"Yeah but that's our fault for staying up so late."

"I know, but it's fun!" We shared another laugh, got changed in our pajamas, and went to sleep.

The next morning I was woken up by Kikuhana

"It's 9:30, get out of bed." She said nudging me awake.

"No, I want more sleep!" I mumbled while pulling the covers over my head.

"Get up!" She exclaimed while ripping the covers off me. I suddenly became cold and jumped out of bed, muttering to myself as I did. Oh, how I hated the mornings.

By 1:00 in the afternoon I was wandering around in Akatsuki completely board. I leaned against the window sill of one of the small, circular windows and glanced outside.

_Why is there never anything to do around here?_ I asked myself. I spent a few minuets mumbling to myself until I felt a light tap on my shoulder. I turned around and saw Itachi. I felt my face turn hot and I scrambled to my feet.

"Hi Itachi,"

"Hey Hatone, do you have any plans today?" He asked me. I felt my heart flutter when he said my name.

"No, I never r-really have much to do around here… Why do you ask?" I asked him already knowing what he would say and feeling the throbbing in my ears again.

"I was wondering if I could take you somewhere."

"Do you mean…like… on a d-date?" I stuttered.

"You could say that." Itachi said, half smiling ever so slightly. Seeing that made me blush more and it practically stopped my heart.

"Ummm, y-yeah I would love to." I was still too shy around him to make eye contact.

"Come meet me out front when you're ready," he gave me another half smile before leaving.

"Ok," I headed off to my room to get changed. I stopped in the middle of the hall when I saw my sister. I started waving my hands in the air to try to get her attention without getting the other members' attention. Kiku snapped out of her daze and saw me, and walked up to me.

"What is it?" She asked. I looked around and dragged her to our room. I opened the door, walked in and closed it.

"Itachi just asked me out." I blushed. A look of surprise appeared on Kikuhana's face for a moment and then smiled.

"Aww, where are you going?"

"I don't know. He just told me to get changed and to meet him out front."

"Ok, well what are you going to wear?"

"I don't know! That's why I dragged you here!" I could feel myself start to panic.

"First thing you have to do is calm down. Breathe. Next, let's find you an outfit." She said and she dragged me towards the closet. She started shuffling through the drawers and hangers. She looked through the hangers and then paused. She took a loose blue and black striped shirt off the rack and held it up to me.

"Ok, that works," She said aloud while placing the shirt on the bed. She pulled open the drawer on the bottom and pulled out a black skirt. She mumbled something then put it on the bed next to the shirt.

"Now for shoes," she went to the back of the closet and came back with a pair of black boots. She put the boots on the floor next to the bed.

"Don't just stare, get dressed!" She ordered me. I quickly got changed into the outfit my sister picked out for me and threw my ninja clothes in the closet.

"How does it look?" I asked Kiku while staring down at the outfit I was wearing. She smiled at me.

"I think he'll like it." I put my hand on the door knob.

"Wait!" She stopped me.

"Yeah?" I asked letting go of the door knob.

"Come here," I walked over to her. Kiku sat me down in the chair in front of the vanity and took my hair down. She shook my hair loose and ran a brush through it quickly. She reached for a small blue clip and pinned it to the smaller right side of my bangs.

"Ok, you're good to go." She announced with a smile. I got out of the chair and gave her a big, tight hug.

"Thank you so much Kiku! You're the greatest sister ever!" I said squeezing the air out of her.

"You're welcome…love you too…let go please…" I released her. "Go! You don't want to keep Itachi waiting."

"Oh yeah," I said rushing for the door.

"Thanks again Kiku," I thanked her once more before leaving. I walked through the Akatsuki trying to cause as little suspicion as possible. I walked outside hoping that no one saw me.

"All ready?" A deep male voice called. I looked over to my right and saw Itachi leaning against a tree. He was wearing the clothes he wore under his cloak. I nodded and fidgeted in place. "Are you hungry?" Itachi asked me.

"Yes, very," I replied shyly.

"I know where we can go." I walked over to him and we began walking. Itachi paused for a moment and glanced down at me. "You look pretty," he commented. Hearing that made me blush furiously and caused me to scratch the back of my head in a quick motion over and over again.

We walked for about 30-45 minuets before we came to a pretty, very green, little village. I looked all around; I was amazed at how beautiful this little village was.

"This is so beautiful…Itachi, how did you find this place?" I asked still dazed.

"I go on walks a lot and I found this once. Do you like it?"

"Very much, yes." I heard a small chuckle come from him which caused my face to turn bright pink. Itachi stopped in front of a restaurant. I reached for the door handle but Itachi opened the door for me. "Thank you," I said smiling. I looked up at him and noticed he was staring at something. I tried to follow his gaze to see what he was staring at, but I wasn't quite sure.

"What is it?" I asked Itachi, snapping him out of his daze.

"Nothing, it's nothing," I wasn't sure what was going through his mind, but I decided not to worry too much about it. We walked in the restaurant and sat down at a table. I looked at the menu, while Itachi looked like he was still in deep thought.

_I can't tell if I should be worried or not about the way he's acting. What is he thinking?_ Itachi snapped out of his daze once more and looked at me.

"I'll be right back, ok?" He told me. My eyes winded slightly and I felt my throat tighten up.

"Where are you going?" I asked sounding a little panicked.

"I need to check something, it won't take long." He told me. I paused.

"Ok. But please hurry back." My voice faded when I realized that I was starting to sound helpless.

"I will," He got up from the table and walked out of the restaurant. I hid my face in the menu. I didn't like, and never liked being alone in a place I've never been to with people I've never met. I sat there hoping that Itachi would come back before any waters tried to talk to me.

"First date, huh?" My eyes widened at hearing an unfamiliar male voice speak to me. I carefully looked up from my menu and saw a man with short brown hair and golden eyes that looked to be in his late teens, or early 20's.

"That guy you were with, is he your date?" The man, who was the waiter, asked me.

"Y-yeah, he is." I said quietly.

"Are you alright?" He asked sounding a little concerned.

"I'm fine. I just get kind of nervous when I'm by myself." I laughed awkwardly and started with my nervous tick again.

"There's no need to be shy," I could tell he was trying to calm me down. "What can I get you to drink?" He asked me.

"Two green teas please."

"Ok, I'll be right back with that." He gave me a friendly smile just before leaving. I looked at the front door and saw Itachi walking back inside the restaurant. I let out a sigh of relief, I could breathe again. Itachi sat back down at the table.

"Where did you go?" I asked him.

"I just needed to check something."

"Ok," I was more relived that he was back than anything else. The waiter came back and places the two teas on the table He glanced at Itachi and then took out a pad a pen from his pocket.

"Can I get you guys anything to eat?" The waiter asked us.

"Dumplings please," I said louder are clearer than before. He stared at me for a second. I could tell he was slightly confused at my sudden change in personality.

"Ok, and for you?" he looked at Itachi.

"That's all for now." Itachi said. The waiter walked off towards the kitchen. A few minuets later the waiter came back with a plate of dumplings, placed it on the table, and walked off. I placed a napkin on my lap and picked up a pair of chopsticks. Itachi grabbed a pair of chopsticks as well and picked up a dumpling. Itachi put his hand under my chin and pulled my face towards his.

"Open," He said. I opened my mouth and Itachi fed me a dumpling. My eyes were wide and my cheeks were pink. I stared at him with a dumpling in my mouth a bit surprised and slowly began to chew. Itachi just smiled at me, which took my breath away. I looked at the floor blushing and began to cough. The smile on Itachi's face disappeared.

"Are you alright?" He asked with his hand on my back.

"Don't do that!" Itachi looked confused.

"Don't do what?"

"Don't smile like that when I'm eating, I almost choked." I said laughing. He smiled again.

"Why not?"

"You know why." I said giving him a smile. He chuckled again. I'd never seen this side of him before. I rarely ever saw him smile, and never heard him chuckle. I… enjoyed it, very much.

After we finished our food, we went to look around the village some more.

The sun just finished setting and it would get dark before too long.

"Do you think we should go back before it gets too dark?" I asked Itachi.

"Not yet, there's still one more thing I want to do before we go back."

I followed Itachi to wherever else he was taking me. I noticed that we were heading outside the village, but not the way we came in. We came to a hill and started walking up it.

_I wonder what else he has in mind. We're walking up a hill at night, what is there for us to do?_ As I was getting lost in my thoughts my hand accidentally bumped into Itachi's hand. Itachi then took my hand in his causing me to blush. When we got to the top of the hill it was an open meadow where there were no trees or buildings to block the sky. I looked up and saw millions of stars filling the sky.

"Wow…." I said in amazement. "It's so beautiful…"

"I had a feeling you would like it." Itachi said sitting down in the grass. I sat down next to him still watching the sky. I saw a white, glittering trail in the sky for a brief second.

"I just saw a shooting star!" I shouted happily.

"Then it's starting." Itachi said. I looked at him confused.  
"What do you mean?"

"I knew there was going to be a meteor shower tonight so I wanted to take you here to see it."

"Thank you." I said giving him a sweet smile. I was amazed and touched that he thought up all of this for me. Itachi rested back in the grass with his hands behind his head. I lay down beside him and then felt his arm go around me. I smiled in delight and nuzzled closer to him. He was very warm; his arms were comforting. I still found it hard to believe this was all happening over a 24-hour period. This was also the first time I had ever seen a meteor shower. I glanced up at Itachi under my long eyelashes. He had a small smile on his features. His gaze was thoughtful, like he wasn't paying much attention to the meteor shower. I was no longer paying attention to the show in the sky either; I was mesmerized by Itachi. His eyes were the main thing that drew me in. His eyes; how I loved his soft, deep, black eyes.

Before too long the meteor shower ended and it was late. The two of us sat up and I was about to get to my feet.

"Hold on," Itachi told me. I blinked and turned my attention back to him. He reached for something in his pocket and pulled out a small rectangular box. I stared at the box with curious eyes as I took the lid off. Inside was a beautiful diamond necklace that had an 'S' like shape to it. It had six diamonds; the first one was small and each gem got a bit bigger. My mouth hung open because I was awestruck from the beautiful necklace.

"This… this is so beautiful." I said in admiration. Itachi smiled a bit.

"I'm actually relived," he told me. I looked up at him.

"Why?" I questioned in bewilderment.

"I don't know. I just thought maybe you'd think it's too soon." He shrugged a bit. I was amazed at what he was saying. I was amazed at how much thought he put into all this, that he was actually smiling and laughing with me.

"This is incredibly beautiful; I really do love it, Itachi. Thank you, so much." I felt like I wasn't thanking him nearly enough for the gift, but it was the only thing I knew what to say at the time. He smiled that beautiful smile of his. Itachi took the necklace and reached around the neck. Feeling his fingers brush against my neck gave me chills and made my pulse race, but I tried to keep calm. He hooked the necklace around my neck and pulled his hands back.

"Come on, I'll take you back." Itachi told me as he helped me to my feet.

I suddenly started to feel very tired and I was hoping I could make it back to the Akatsuki without passing out first. Itachi looked at me. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm just tired, that's all." I said as I rubbed my left eye.

"Get on my back." He offered. Hearing that snapped the sluggish feeling away almost immediately.

"A-are you sure?" I blinked.

"Yeah, I don't mind."

"Ok," naturally, I hesitated before I climbed on Itachi's back. I wrapped my arms around his neck so I wouldn't fall off. Itachi held onto my legs and began to walk. Having Itachi carry me was a very soothing feeling. My cheek pressed against his back, hearing his breathing. Within a few minuets, I fell asleep.

"We're here," Itachi's soft, deep voice rang in my ears. I opened my eyes and looked around to familiar surroundings. He placed me down to my feet.

"Thank you again for everything today; I really had a lot of fun." I said smiling at him.

"So did I," he smiled back at me.

"Good night Itachi…" I blushed. "I love you..."

"I love you," Itachi murmured before kissing me goodnight.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

I woke up the next morning alone in my room.

_Kiku's already up._ I thought as I put my feet in the floor and got up. As I walked to the closet door I remembered last night. My date with Itachi, when he brought me back to the Akatsuki, my sister's reaction when I told her about the date, the necklace Itachi bought me. I put my hand around my neck and I didn't feel my necklace.

"My necklace! Where is it?" I rushed to the top of my closet and started feeling around for a rectangular box. I felt it and opened the box to see my necklace sparkling in the morning sun. I smiled and put it on. I hid the pendent in my shirt, I didn't want anyone to see it and raise suspicion. I finished getting ready and exited my room. I made my way to the kitchen first thing and jerked open the pantry door.

"There's never anything to eat or do here… I hate this place." I mumbled to myself, closing the door. I looked to my left and saw Deidara.

"Well good morning sleeping beauty. It's 11:30, you know, hmm." Deidara said sarcastically. I looked surprised when he told me the time; I didn't expect to sleep in that late.

"No, I didn't know that… Hey, where's Kiku?"

"Beats me, yeah."

"Can you help me look for her?"

"Why not. I've got nothing to do anyway, hmm." Deidara and I walked around the Akatsuki when we figured that she might be outside.

"I'm so board! Sasori, is there anything we can do here at all?" I heard Kikuhana's voice from around the corner.

"There's not much to do around here, so I don't really know. Unless you want to request a mission from leader." Sasori said laughing a bit.

"Yeah, I think I'll pass on that." Kikuhana replied.

"Hi Kiku, hi Sasori." I greeted them with a smile.

"Hey Deidara, good morning princess. Sure it's not too early for you to be up?" Kiku sarcastically asked me.

"So I slept in, it doesn't mean you need to call me that." I said slightly annoyed.

"I already tormented her, hmm." Deidara said smiling. I glared at Deidara for a second, and then focused my attention back to Kikuhana and Sasori.

"So what do you guys want to do?" I asked sitting on a rock next to Sasori.

"We were just talking about that." Sasori told me. The four of us stood in silence for a few moments until my sister spoke.

"Let's all go to the lake!" Kiku shouted.

"The lake?" Deidara repeated.

"Well it's a nice day, and there's nothing to do at all. Do you have a better idea, Deidara?" Kiku asked, crossing her arms across her chest. He didn't respond.

"Alright then, the lake it is." I said.

"Ok! We'll go get changed, but first, Hatone, go ask Kisame if he wants to come." She instructed me.

"Ok, I'll do that," I got up and went inside to look for Kisame. Once I found him I asked if he wanted to come to the lake and he agreed. With that, I went to my room and got my bathing suit. I put it on then I put my clothes over it.

"Are you ready to go?" Kikuhana asked me.

"Yep, are you?"

"Yep! Let's go," She said pulling me out the room. We walked outside and saw there waiting for us, Sasori, Deidara, Kisame, and Itachi. I wasn't expecting to see Itachi.

"Kiku, what is Itachi doing here?" I whispered to her.

"I asked him if he wanted to come and he said sure." She whispered back.

"You did what?" I exclaimed while still keeping my voice at a low tone.

"I think we all should spend time with your new boyfriend." My eyes widened.

"Kiku, shut up!" I yelled from panic, thinking that someone heard her. The four boys turned around and stared at us.

"Hey!" We both said nervously.

"You two ok over there, hmm?" Deidara asked still confused by our behavior.

"Yeah, yeah, now let's go." Kiku said as she led the way.

We walked through the forest for a while until we could hear the sound of water running.

"Here it is!" Kiku said grinning. I stepped out of the forest and stared out at the lake in amazement. I took my sister by the wrist and dragged her behind a tree so we could change. Kikuhana got by the waters edge and stared at the water.

"The water is so clear. I can see all the way to the bottem!" She said. Deidara came up behind her.

"Do you want to get a better look, hmm?" He asked just as he kicked her into the water. Deidara then consternated chakra into his feet, allowing him to walk on top of the water; standing over her. "If you didn't want to get kicked in you shouldn't have stood so close to the edge, hmm." He taunted her with a smirk while she was still under the water. Suddenly, Kiku's hand grabbed Deidara's ankle and dragged him under. Kikuhana came to the surface as well as Deidara.

"If you didn't want to get dragged under you shouldn't have been standing on the water, hmm." Kiku laughed, mocking Deidara and angering him.

"What was that?" Deidara asked becoming annoyed.

"You heard me," Kiku said with an amused smile on her face. Deidara went swimming after her.

"Help me he's going to drown me!" Kiku yelled swimming away. Kisame dove into the water and grabbed Kiku by the waist and put Deidara in a headlock.

"No one's drowning anyone." Kisame announced. Deidara was trying to squirm free from Kisame's grasp, but failed.

"Let go! I can't breathe, hmm!" Deidara grunted. Kisame released Deidara, allowing him to catch his breath. Kisame and Kiku had a laughing fit over Deidara's expression.

"Hey, Chicky, are you coming in?" Kiku asked me, making me blush.

"Chicky?" Kisame asked and switched his gaze to Kiku.

"Yeah, Hatone's nickname is Chicky. You didn't know that?"

"Until just now, they didn't." I said embarrassed. The nickname itself didn't embarrass me; it's just that I knew I would never hear the end of it from Deidara.

"I've never called you Chicky in front of them before?" Kiku blinked.

"No," I muttered.

"Huh…I thought I did. Well are you coming in or not?"

"Yeah, I'll come." I walked to the water's edge and jumped in the cool water. The water was completely clear; like blue liquid diamonds. I started to go off into deep thought, and started to swim away from the rest of my group. I felt a hand grab my ankle and drag me under. I opened my eyes, expecting to see Kisame or Deidara, but instead I saw Itachi. My eyes grew large and I felt my face turn hot. I didn't know it was possible to blush underwater. Itachi signaled me to follow him, so I did. He led me to an underwater cave. We swam through it and came up to the surface on the other side. I gasped for air and I then opened my eyes to see a large waterfall in front of me.

"What is this place?" I asked in amazement.

"It's just another thing I knew you would like." Itachi said.

"I can't believe you know so much about what I like already." I grinned a bit. Itachi smiled that beautiful smile of his, which of course resulted in my face turning red. Itachi looked at my neck and saw I was wearing the necklace he gave me the previous night.

"You're wearing it," I looked at the pendent and back at Itachi.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be wearing it? It's the first meaningful gift I've gotten in a long time." I said as a smile grew on my face.

Kiku, Kisame, and Deidara were chasing each other around the lake, when Kiku stopped and saw Sasori was still sitting at the water's edge.

"Don't you wanna come in, Sasori?" She asked.

"I think I'll pass," Sasori answered. His ginger eyes scanned the lake. "Where's your sister?" He asked Kikuhana. The question gained the others' attention.

"Chicky's gone, hmm?" Deidara asked aloud.

"So is Itachi," Kiku murmured.

"Where do you suppose they went?" Kisame asked.

"Back to the Akatsuki maybe…?" Kiku questioned and then shook her head, knowing that I wouldn't leave without her.

"Well, let's split up and look for them." Sasori said. Kiku dove underwater and began exploring around the edges. She kept looking until she came across what looked like an underwater tunnel. She swam through it and came up on the other side. She saw Itachi and me by the waterfall.

_Found them,_ she thought, quietly diving back underwater and swimming back through the tunnel.

"Now, if I can keep Deidara and Kisame away from the tunnel until Itachi and Hatone come back, everything will be ok." Kikuhana said out loud to herself.

"Did you find anything?" Kisame asked Kiku from afar.

"Nothing over here!" She called back. She swam around the lake pretending to look for Itachi and me. "Hopefully they bought that and they'll stay away from that area..."

A few minuets passed by and Itachi and I thought it would be a good idea to go back before they realized we were gone. We swam through the tunnel and came up on the other side. We swam away from each other to avoid suspicion.

"Hey!" I swam up to my sister with a cheerful smile.

"Where did you go?" Kiku asked even though she knew where I was.

"With Itachi, by a waterfall," I sunk the lower half of my face into the water.

"I saw you," she smirked. That really shouldn't have surprised me, but it did. Kiku laughed at my expression before regaining herself. "Guys! We found them, you can stop looking!" Kikuhana called.

"Good, that means we can go back now, hmm." Deidara said as he started to swim towards land.

"It is getting late; I guess it would be a good idea to go back now." I said out loud. We all started swimming back to land; Kikuhana was the first to get out, and wrapped herself in a large towel. Kisame and Deidara got out next, then me. I turned around to see if Itachi was getting out of the water and he was standing right behind me. I blushed and slipped on the ground. Deidara turned around when he heard me fall.

"Are you alright, Chicky, hmm?" He asked. I looked at him a little annoyed.

"I'm fine Deidara." Itachi helped me back to my feet.

"Thanks," I whispered to him. I walked over to a tree branch and took a towel off it. We all dried ourselves off, got dressed in our usual ninja attire, and went back to the Akatsuki.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 15**

I woke up the next morning alone in my room.

_Kiku's already up._ I thought as I put my feet in the floor and got up. As I walked to the closet door I remembered last night. My date with Itachi, when he brought me back to the Akatsuki, my sister's reaction when I told her about the date, the necklace Itachi bought me. I put my hand around my neck and I didn't feel my necklace.

"My necklace! Where is it?" I rushed to the top of my closet and started feeling around for a rectangular box. I felt it and opened the box to see my necklace sparkling in the morning sun. I smiled and put it on. I hid the pendent in my shirt, I didn't want anyone to see it and raise suspicion. I finished getting ready and exited my room. I made my way to the kitchen first thing and jerked open the pantry door.

"There's never anything to eat or do here… I hate this place." I mumbled to myself, closing the door. I looked to my left and saw Deidara.

"Well good morning sleeping beauty. It's 11:30, you know, hmm." Deidara said sarcastically. I looked surprised when he told me the time; I didn't expect to sleep in that late.

"No, I didn't know that… Hey, where's Kiku?"

"Beats me, yeah."

"Can you help me look for her?"

"Why not. I've got nothing to do anyway, hmm." Deidara and I walked around the Akatsuki when we figured that she might be outside.

"I'm so board! Sasori, is there anything we can do here at all?" I heard Kikuhana's voice from around the corner.

"There's not much to do around here, so I don't really know. Unless you want to request a mission from leader." Sasori said laughing a bit.

"Yeah, I think I'll pass on that." Kikuhana replied.

"Hi Kiku, hi Sasori." I greeted them with a smile.

"Hey Deidara, good morning princess. Sure it's not too early for you to be up?" Kiku sarcastically asked me.

"So I slept in, it doesn't mean you need to call me that." I said slightly annoyed.

"I already tormented her, hmm." Deidara said smiling. I glared at Deidara for a second, and then focused my attention back to Kikuhana and Sasori.

"So what do you guys want to do?" I asked sitting on a rock next to Sasori.

"We were just talking about that." Sasori told me. The four of us stood in silence for a few moments until my sister spoke.

"Let's all go to the lake!" Kiku shouted.

"The lake?" Deidara repeated.

"Well it's a nice day, and there's nothing to do at all. Do you have a better idea, Deidara?" Kiku asked, crossing her arms across her chest. He didn't respond.

"Alright then, the lake it is." I said.

"Ok! We'll go get changed, but first, Hatone, go ask Kisame if he wants to come." She instructed me.

"Ok, I'll do that," I got up and went inside to look for Kisame. Once I found him I asked if he wanted to come to the lake and he agreed. With that, I went to my room and got my bathing suit. I put it on then I put my clothes over it.

"Are you ready to go?" Kikuhana asked me.

"Yep, are you?"

"Yep! Let's go," She said pulling me out the room. We walked outside and saw there waiting for us, Sasori, Deidara, Kisame, and Itachi. I wasn't expecting to see Itachi.

"Kiku, what is Itachi doing here?" I whispered to her.

"I asked him if he wanted to come and he said sure." She whispered back.

"You did what?" I exclaimed while still keeping my voice at a low tone.

"I think we all should spend time with your new boyfriend." My eyes widened.

"Kiku, shut up!" I yelled from panic, thinking that someone heard her. The four boys turned around and stared at us.

"Hey!" We both said nervously.

"You two ok over there, hmm?" Deidara asked still confused by our behavior.

"Yeah, yeah, now let's go." Kiku said as she led the way.

We walked through the forest for a while until we could hear the sound of water running.

"Here it is!" Kiku said grinning. I stepped out of the forest and stared out at the lake in amazement. I took my sister by the wrist and dragged her behind a tree so we could change. Kikuhana got by the waters edge and stared at the water.

"The water is so clear. I can see all the way to the bottem!" She said. Deidara came up behind her.

"Do you want to get a better look, hmm?" He asked just as he kicked her into the water. Deidara then consternated chakra into his feet, allowing him to walk on top of the water; standing over her. "If you didn't want to get kicked in you shouldn't have stood so close to the edge, hmm." He taunted her with a smirk while she was still under the water. Suddenly, Kiku's hand grabbed Deidara's ankle and dragged him under. Kikuhana came to the surface as well as Deidara.

"If you didn't want to get dragged under you shouldn't have been standing on the water, hmm." Kiku laughed, mocking Deidara and angering him.

"What was that?" Deidara asked becoming annoyed.

"You heard me," Kiku said with an amused smile on her face. Deidara went swimming after her.

"Help me he's going to drown me!" Kiku yelled swimming away. Kisame dove into the water and grabbed Kiku by the waist and put Deidara in a headlock.

"No one's drowning anyone." Kisame announced. Deidara was trying to squirm free from Kisame's grasp, but failed.

"Let go! I can't breathe, hmm!" Deidara grunted. Kisame released Deidara, allowing him to catch his breath. Kisame and Kiku had a laughing fit over Deidara's expression.

"Hey, Chicky, are you coming in?" Kiku asked me, making me blush.

"Chicky?" Kisame asked and switched his gaze to Kiku.

"Yeah, Hatone's nickname is Chicky. You didn't know that?"

"Until just now, they didn't." I said embarrassed. The nickname itself didn't embarrass me; it's just that I knew I would never hear the end of it from Deidara.

"I've never called you Chicky in front of them before?" Kiku blinked.

"No," I muttered.

"Huh…I thought I did. Well are you coming in or not?"

"Yeah, I'll come." I walked to the water's edge and jumped in the cool water. The water was completely clear; like blue liquid diamonds. I started to go off into deep thought, and started to swim away from the rest of my group. I felt a hand grab my ankle and drag me under. I opened my eyes, expecting to see Kisame or Deidara, but instead I saw Itachi. My eyes grew large and I felt my face turn hot. I didn't know it was possible to blush underwater. Itachi signaled me to follow him, so I did. He led me to an underwater cave. We swam through it and came up to the surface on the other side. I gasped for air and I then opened my eyes to see a large waterfall in front of me.

"What is this place?" I asked in amazement.

"It's just another thing I knew you would like." Itachi said.

"I can't believe you know so much about what I like already." I grinned a bit. Itachi smiled that beautiful smile of his, which of course resulted in my face turning red. Itachi looked at my neck and saw I was wearing the necklace he gave me the previous night.

"You're wearing it," I looked at the pendent and back at Itachi.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be wearing it? It's the first meaningful gift I've gotten in a long time." I said as a smile grew on my face.

Kiku, Kisame, and Deidara were chasing each other around the lake, when Kiku stopped and saw Sasori was still sitting at the water's edge.

"Don't you wanna come in, Sasori?" She asked.

"I think I'll pass," Sasori answered. His ginger eyes scanned the lake. "Where's your sister?" He asked Kikuhana. The question gained the others' attention.

"Chicky's gone, hmm?" Deidara asked aloud.

"So is Itachi," Kiku murmured.

"Where do you suppose they went?" Kisame asked.

"Back to the Akatsuki maybe…?" Kiku questioned and then shook her head, knowing that I wouldn't leave without her.

"Well, let's split up and look for them." Sasori said. Kiku dove underwater and began exploring around the edges. She kept looking until she came across what looked like an underwater tunnel. She swam through it and came up on the other side. She saw Itachi and me by the waterfall.

_Found them,_ she thought, quietly diving back underwater and swimming back through the tunnel.

"Now, if I can keep Deidara and Kisame away from the tunnel until Itachi and Hatone come back, everything will be ok." Kikuhana said out loud to herself.

"Did you find anything?" Kisame asked Kiku from afar.

"Nothing over here!" She called back. She swam around the lake pretending to look for Itachi and me. "Hopefully they bought that and they'll stay away from that area..."

A few minuets passed by and Itachi and I thought it would be a good idea to go back before they realized we were gone. We swam through the tunnel and came up on the other side. We swam away from each other to avoid suspicion.

"Hey!" I swam up to my sister with a cheerful smile.

"Where did you go?" Kiku asked even though she knew where I was.

"With Itachi, by a waterfall," I sunk the lower half of my face into the water.

"I saw you," she smirked. That really shouldn't have surprised me, but it did. Kiku laughed at my expression before regaining herself. "Guys! We found them, you can stop looking!" Kikuhana called.

"Good, that means we can go back now, hmm." Deidara said as he started to swim towards land.

"It is getting late; I guess it would be a good idea to go back now." I said out loud. We all started swimming back to land; Kikuhana was the first to get out, and wrapped herself in a large towel. Kisame and Deidara got out next, then me. I turned around to see if Itachi was getting out of the water and he was standing right behind me. I blushed and slipped on the ground. Deidara turned around when he heard me fall.

"Are you alright, Chicky, hmm?" He asked. I looked at him a little annoyed.

"I'm fine Deidara." Itachi helped me back to my feet.

"Thanks," I whispered to him. I walked over to a tree branch and took a towel off it. We all dried ourselves off, got dressed in our usual ninja attire, and went back to the Akatsuki.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Itachi and I were enjoying a pleasant afternoon together. We were out in the forest in a grassy area by a stream. We were lying down in the grass; I had my head on his chest. I listened to the calming sounds of the forest. As I laid there, I slowly started to drift off into a daydream. It wasn't really a daydream, but more like a flashback. A flashback to the day I first met Itachi.

* * *

I was no older than 10 years old, and my older sister Kikuhana was around 11. We had just finished another day at the Ninja Academy, and we were waiting for our mom to come pick us up. We said good bye to two of our friends, Sakura and Ino.

"Hey, there's Sasuke." Kiku pointed. "Let's go say hi to him." She said while lacing her hand with mine and pulling me in the direction where Sasuke was. We walked up to a young boy who was around the age of 7. He had big black eyes, black hair that was spiked in the back, and a cute face.

"Hi Sasuke!" My sister and I greeted him with smiles on our faces. He turned around to see who was talking to him and saw us.

"Kiku, Hatone, hi!" He greeted us also smiling. "Shouldn't you be going home?" He asked us.

"We're waiting for our mom to come pick us up." Kiku replied.

"Yeah, I'm waiting for my dad." Sasuke added. "You two can sit with me until our parents come if you want." He offered.

"Ok," I said sitting on the stairs next to him. Kikuhana sat down next to me. Every girl in the academy had a crush on Sasuke, so he didn't really like to talk to them. Kiku had her eye on a different boy in the academy, and I just saw Sasuke as a friend, so he felt like he could have a normal conversation with us.

"Sasuke you're really good with shuriken." I told him. "Who practices with you? Your dad?" I asked.

"Well, yeah I do ask my dad for help sometimes, but my big brother is way better at it than my dad, so he helps me practice most of the time." Sasuke said.

"I didn't know you had a big brother. What's his name?" Kiku asked, sounding a bit eager.

"Oh you didn't? I thought I told you. My big brother's name is Itachi." Sasuke explained.

"What's he like?" I asked him.

"Let's see," Sasuke looked up at the sky. "He graduated the Ninja Academy at the top of his class when he was 7. When he was 8 he mastered the Sharingan. He passed the Chunin Exams when he was 10. He's 13 now, and he's an ANBU Captain." Sasuke said with his gaze still on the sky. My sister and I stared at Sasuke with our eyes big.

"Wow your big brother sounds really cool!" Kiku exclaimed.

"Yeah…he did all those things when he was so young, and none of us have even graduated the academy yet." I said still amazed.

"Your parents must be really proud of your big brother! Aren't you proud of him Sasuke?" Kiku asked him. Sasuke's gaze was now fixed on the ground with a somewhat saddened expression.

"Well of course I'm proud of him, but…my father, he always praises Itachi and focuses most of his attention to Itachi. Mother says when I'm not around all Father does is talk about me, but I want him to pay attention to me when I'm around." Sasuke said sadly.

I felt bad for him so I put my hand on his back.

"I'm sure he loves you and Itachi the same." I said trying to lift his spirits up.

"Yeah, and your mom said he talks about you all the time, so I'm very sure he's proud of you too!" Kiku said, also trying to make Sasuke feel better. Sasuke lifted his head back up and smiled at us.

"Thanks." He said.

"No problem Sasuke." Kiku and I said in unison as we smiled back at Sasuke.

"Sasuke, are you ready to go home?" I heard a deep, unfamiliar voice say. I looked in front of myself to see a boy with long black hair and black eyes. He was older and taller than Sasuke, Kikuhana and I. I was startled because someone I didn't know walked up to us and started talking. I scooted over behind Kiku and clutched her shirt, peeking over her shoulder.

"Itachi, what are you doing here?" Sasuke asked in confusion looking up at the boy.

"Father was going to come pick you up, but he had some work at the police force he needed to take care of. He sent me to come take you home." He explained to Sasuke.

"Oh, ok." Sasuke picked up his bag, slung it over his shoulder and stood up. Itachi glanced at my sister and I.

"Are these your friends?" He asked Sasuke.

"Yes, they are. Sorry for not introducing you. Itachi, these are two of my friends here at the academy, Kikuhana and Hatone; they're sisters. Kiku, Hatone, this is my big brother, Itachi." Sasuke introduced. Itachi bent down so he was at eye level with us.

"Hello, it's very nice to meet you." He greeted us with a friendly smile.

"Hi, you can call me Kiku." My sister greeted, shaking his hand. Itachi looked past her to see me, who was hiding behind my sister. Kiku looked over her shoulder and back at Itachi.

"You'll have to excuse my little sister; she's very shy when meeting new people. But if she saw you more often then she'll warm up to you." Kiku explained to Itachi.

"It's fine. You don't have to talk if you're not comfortable, but I'll say hi anyway." Itachi said giving me a smile. My face grew a bit warm from nervousness.

"Um…hi…Itachi." I said shyly.

"Hi," He greeted back. Itachi got back to his feet. "We need to get going now Sasuke." He said to his little brother.

"Ok. Bye Kiku, bye Hatone, I'll see you two tomorrow." Sasuke said as he walked beside his older brother.

"Bye girls, it was nice meeting you." Itachi said to my sister and me.

"Bye Sasuke, see you tomorrow! It was nice meeting you too Itachi! Bye!" Kiku waved.

"Bye Sasuke. It was nice to meet you too Itachi." I said the last part with a little smile on my face. Kikuhana and I stood there waving at the two brothers until they were no longer in sight.

_So that was Sasuke's big brother…Itachi. _

* * *

I slowly drifted out of my daydream back into reality.

"Is something on your mind?" Itachi asked me upon seeing my face that had a spaced-out look on it.

"It's nothing really, but," I paused to sit up. Itachi did also. "Do you remember when we first met?" I asked him.

"Yeah, it was in that small town when Kisame and I were looking for Naruto." He replied.

"No, it was before that. Way before that. When Kiku and I were still in the academy, you came to….pick up your brother." I said the last part with hesitation. I didn't ever want to bring up anything from his past; I didn't know how it made him feel.

"Oh yeah," Itachi said looking up at the sky. "I remember that. Your shyness hasn't gone away since then." Itachi stated making me blush.

"No, it hasn't." I said laughing a bit. "But now that you mention it…Our second meeting, at that small town…"

* * *

It was back to when Kikuhana and I were still living in the Leaf Village. The Leaf Village's Hokage had just recently passed away. The Village's elders asked Jiraiya, who Naruto was currently training under, to be the Village's new Hokage. Jiraiya told them he wouldn't be best suited to be a Hokage, but he said he knew someone would be. So Jiraiya dragged Naruto, Kikuhana and I to help him find his old friend, bring her back to the Village, and have her become the new Hokage. As the four of us continued on our quest to find Tsunade, Jiraiya's friend, we came across a small, but busy and crowded town. Naruto, Kiku and I were randomly staring at garden decorations when we heard Jiraiya calling us.

"Naruto, Kikuhana, Hatone," Jiraiya called us. We turned our heads to see Jiraiya standing at the front door to what looked like an inn. "We're gonna crash here for tonight." He told the three of us.

"What? But why? I can still walk." Naruto said walking over to Jiraiya.

"A disciple should always obey his master." Jiraiya said to Naruto.

"Look, I just wanna learn some jutsu, ok?" Naruto said with normal stubborn attitude.

"Yeah no kidding that's what makes you a disciple!" Jiraiya said to Naruto in a sarcastic tone.

"And they wonder why we didn't want to go in the first place?" Kiku whispered to me, annoyed.

"Yeah, I know." I said rolling my eyes. Suddenly a pretty woman with brown eyes, black hair, and a blue dress walked pass my sister and I. She stopped to look at Jiraiya and winked at him. Jiraiya quickly gave Naruto the hotel room key.

"Here's the room key. I want you, Kikuhana and Hatone to go right up to the room, train for a little, work on your chakra, and get to bed ok?" Jiraiya said quickly.

"And it begins..." I sighed in annoyance.

"What? You're supposed to help me with my training! Not go chasing after random girls!" Naruto yelled. Naruto, Kiku and I went up to the hotel room but not before each of us throwing Jiraiya a glare. As the three of us made our way to our hotel room talking about what an idiot Jiraiya was.

"You know, you guys didn't have to come with me. I know how much you hate putting up with him." Naruto said to me and Kiku.

"It's ok Naruto; it's always fun with you around." Kiku said smiling at him. I smiled as well, agreeing with her. We walked into the room. It wasn't anything special; it looked like any other hotel room. Naruto sat cross-legged on one of the beds, while Kiku and I did the same thing on the other bed. We began to practice our chakra control.

"Aw man, every time I'm with that idiot I always end up getting shafted." Naruto grumbled. Naruto made two clones that were sitting beside him. "I'm starting to think he has no interest in training me at all." Naruto complained again. I opened one eye.

"I'm sure he does, but he just gets distracted easily." I said making Kiku laugh. Naruto and his clones growled. "Sorry Naruto!" I apologized still laughing. More and more of Naruto's clones appeared. Naruto opened his eyes and saw that all of his clones were asleep.

"Uh, guys? When did we decide it was nap time?" Naruto asked looking around the room at his sleeping clones.

"Maybe you should get rid of them. They're starting to take up a lot of space." Kiku said to Naruto. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. The three of us stopped and stared at the door, assuming it was Jiraiya. Naruto made his clones disappear in a poof. The knocking grew louder.

"What now?" Naruto said hopping off the bed. "Are you telling me she dumped you already?" Naruto said in a louder voice for Jiraiya to hear. The knocking just got louder and faster. "I heard you the first time!" Naruto yelled as he walked over to the door. He grabbed the room key and unlocked the door, opening it. Naruto was frozen and his eyes were wide when he opened the door. We didn't hear Jiraiya's voice, so I sat up. Kiku and I looked at who was standing at the door. It was a tall man with long black hair, red eyes; they were red because he had the Sharingan. The stranger was wearing a Leaf Village headband on his forehead, but it had a scratch going through it. He was also wearing a baggy black cloak with read clouds on it. He was staring directly at Naruto, and didn't even glance at me or Kikuhana. My heart jumped out of my chest as I felt my face grow pail. I'd always been terrified of strangers. Naruto, Kikuhana and I stood there completely frozen in shock and fear. _Who is this guy? He has the same Sharingan as Sasuke! _Naruto thought to himself.

_Who is he? I never seen this guy in my life, but he oddly seems familiar. But I don't know him! I need to move, scream, something! My body isn't responding._ All these things were rushing through my head at once, but I couldn't move. And by the looks of it, nether could Kiku or Naruto. Another man came walking up to the door.

"Hard to believe that such a child carries the nine-tailed fox." Said a tall, shark-like man. My eyes grew even wider and a lump appeared in my throat. I didn't know which shocked me more. That these two strangers knew about Naruto and the nine-tailed fox; or that there was a 6 foot, 5 inch tall shark-man standing outside our hotel room. Naruto looked more surprised too. I could tell the same thing was going through Kiku's and Naruto's minds.

"Naruto," The one with the Sharingan said in his deep voice. "You're coming with us."

Naruto silently gasped, as did Kiku and I.

"Why don't we take a walk?" The Sharingan user asked Naruto. Naruto glared at them and walked out into the hall and stood in front of the two strange men. I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs for Naruto not to go with them. But I knew if I said or did anything, I would breakdown in tears. I just bit my lip, and started to tremble. Kikuhana saw me, she knew I was about to have a melt down. My sister walked in front of me with her hand on her sword, and tried to look as brave as she could. I stood behind her, completely terrified.

"Itachi," The shark-man spoke

_Itachi..? That __name, it sounds so familiar_... I tried to remember.

"It'll be a pain in the neck if this kid tries to make a run for it. What do you say I chop off his leg, just in case?" The shark-man said with a hand on his large strange-looking sword. Naruto's eyes grew large. _Say w-what?_ Naruto thought. Itachi didn't say anything. "Right," The shark-man walked closer to Naruto. Kikuhana slowly started to pull her sword out of its sheath. I clutched the back of Kiku's shirt and winced. As the shark-man continued to take steps towards Naruto, Itachi glanced in the room at me and Kiku. I looked up and saw him staring at us with his piercing red eyes. My eyes grew larger as I became more scared, but Kiku jut became more defensive. Itachi looked back in front of himself at the shark-man and Naruto.

"It's been a long time," Itachi said. The shark-man paused and looked over his shoulder to Itachi. "….Sasuke…." Itachi finished. Kikuhana and I both were shocked. We weren't expecting Sasuke to be here.

"Itachi…Uchiha…" Sasuke said darkly. Naruto's eyes widened. We couldn't see him because we were still in the room, but we heard him.

"Itachi..? Uchiha..?" Naruto said in astonishment. Sasuke has his Sharingan activated and was glaring hatefully at Itachi.

"Well, the Sharingan." The shark-man said in an amused tone. "And he looks an awful lot like you. Itachi, who is this kid?" The shark-man continued with that smirk never leaving his face.

"He's my younger brother." Itachi said with his back still turned to Sasuke. At that moment Kikuhana and I both realized why he seemed so familiar to us. It's because we **did** meet him, years ago.

_This is Itachi? The same Itachi we met back at the academy all those years ago? No, it can't be. The Itachi __Kiku and I met was kind, and polite. This Itachi is cold and silent. How can this be?_ I tried to work out my frustration in my mind, but it didn't help. Naruto looked just as surprised as us.

"That's strange, because the way I heard it the whole Uchiha clan was wiped out….by you." The shark-man said to Itachi.

"Itachi Uchiha…I hope you're ready to die." Sasuke spoke even darker than before. Itachi turned around and stared emotionlessly at Sasuke. "It's just as you said brother," Sasuke said darkly, only this time louder. "I've fostered my hatred for you, all this time." Sasuke said as he began using a jutsu of his, the Chidori. "I've lived my life for one single purpose." He continued while building up his jutsu. "To see you die!" Sasuke yelled as he slammed his hand to the side of the wall and charged towards Itachi. The Chidori was tearing up the side of the wall. Just before Sasuke was about to hit Itachi with his Chidori, Itachi blocked it, causing an explosion and blowing a huge hole in the wall. The smoke cleared to see Itachi gripping Sasuke's wrist and Sasuke glaring at Itachi.

_He stopped th__e Chidori like it was nothing!_ I mentally exclaimed. Itachi began squeezing Sasuke's wrist as Sasuke tried to squirm free. Naruto decided it was his turn to help Sasuke so he began building up his chakra. Naruto's red chakra from the nine-tailed fox surrounded him, which caught Itachi's and the shark-man's attention.

"This must be it, the power of the nine-tailed fox." The shark-man spoke. Itachi still was holding Sasuke by the wrist. While he wasn't looking, Sasuke aimed to punch Itachi, but Itachi snapped down Sasuke's wrist, breaking it. Sasuke screamed in pain and dropped to the floor holding his wrist.

"Sasuke! Alright that's it!" Naruto yelled.

"Naruto!" Kikuhana yelled as she jumped beside him. I followed her by instinct and got on Naruto's other side. Kiku had her sword out and got into an offensive position. I took out two kunais and got in a defensive position.

"What's this? Back up?" The shark-man roared with laughter. "Sorry kid, but they won't do you much help." He said as he swung his sword down at the three of us. Kiku used her sword as a shield, but no damage appeared to be inflicted on any of us. Kiku and I looked at Naruto and saw his chakra was gone. _I can't feel my chakra! _Naruto thought, with a stunned look on his face.

"What the heck is going on? Naruto yelled in frustration.

"Sorry kid, my blade sharkskin cuts through chakra, and devours it." The shark-man explained. "We don't need the hassle of this kid using anymore jutsu. Forget his legs, maybe I should start with those arms of his." The shark-man said pointing his sword at Naruto. Naruto tried to build up his chakra again, but it wasn't working.

"You're wasting your time." He taunted. I started to panic. I took my two kunais and lunged for the shark man, ramming my shoulder into his torso. I thought that would throw him off guard a little, but it did absolutely nothing. He picked me up with one hand and threw me across the hall way.

"Hatone!" Kikuhana yelled after hearing me scream. The throw knocked the air out of me, but I quickly scrambled back to my feet. The shark-man lifted his sword above his head, about to hit Naruto with it. Kikuhana used her sword to try to defend them, but we all knew that the shark-man was much stronger than us, and it probably wouldn't work. I started to run back to them. The shark-man swung his sword down again, about to hit them, when a puff if smoke appeared in front of Naruto, Kiku and me. The sword made contact with whatever was in the smoke. The smoke cleared and there was an orange frog with some armor that was bigger than Naruto, standing in front of us, shielding us from the attack. We stood in confusion. A puff of smoke appeared behind Naruto, Kiku and me.

"You two don't know me at all, do you?" A familiar sounding voice said. "You should've done your homework." The smoke behind us cleared and Kiku and I looked behind us to see Jiraiya. "Jiraiya the Toad Sage is here!" Jiraiya exclaimed, making his dramatic entrance as usual. The shark-man chuckled.

"You're a simple minded old fool who gets distracted too easily. I must say Master Jiraiya, it's almost impossible to believe that you are one of the three legendary Sannin."

"WHAT?" Naruto exclaimed. "You mean you already know who he is?" Naruto asked in shock.

_Why do you have to act like a clueless __idiot now of all times Naruto?_ I said mentally.

"I know that he's the one you're really after." Jiraiya said becoming serious.

"That explains how Kakashi knew. I understand, he learned it from you." Itachi said to Jiraiya. "You're right. Naruto is the prize that the Akatsuki are after. And we **will** have him." Itachi said. Naruto took a step back. The frog disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"No way you're getting Naruto." Jiraiya said becoming defensive to Naruto.

"We'll see about that." Itachi replied.

"Actually, this is all very convenient. I can eliminate you both at the same time." Jiraiya said.

"S-stay out of this." Sasuke demanded, sounding weak. We all watched Sasuke as he got back to his feet. "The only one who's gonna eliminate him, is me!" Sasuke shouted.

Itachi stared at Sasuke for a moment before he spoke.

"Go away; you don't interest me at the moment." Itachi said to Sasuke emotionlessly. Sasuke made a fist and charged at Itachi.

"Well get interested!" Sasuke yelled charging at Itachi. Itachi kicked Sasuke back and sent him flying back against the wall.

"Sasuke no!" Naruto ran after Sasuke.

"No Naruto! Don't butt in! Mind your own business!" Sasuke yelled, stopping Naruto in his tracks. Sasuke slowly got back to his feet. He charged at Itachi again with a fist. He aimed to punch him, but Itachi caught the punch, hit Sasuke in the face and sent him flying back, again.

"I'm n-not fin-ished." Sasuke barley said, while trying to move his hand.

_He can't even__ manage to make the hand sign._ Itachi thought.

"This…fight…is…mine..." Sasuke said weakly.

"So be it." Itachi said. He walked up to Sasuke, put his hand around his throat and slammed him to the wall.

"You're still too weak. You don't have enough hate. And you know something? You never will." Itachi said to Sasuke. Itachi activated his Tsukuyomi. Sasuke gasped and than started screaming. I bit my lip. Sasuke's screams made my stomach turn.

"Isn't that heartwarming? Using Tsukuyomi on his own brother." The shark-man said amused.

"That's it I'm through standing around!" Naruto yelled charging at Itachi. The shark-man ran after Naruto. Kikuhana was about to run, but Jiraiya stopped her and did a weird jutsu.

"Ninja Art: Toad Mouth Trap." Jiraiya said activating the jutsu. All of the walls, floors, and ceiling looked like we were inside of a frog.

"Naruto, girls, don't move. Stay still and you'll be fine." Jiraiya instructed us. We did as he said and didn't move. Itachi looked over his shoulder.

"Kisame, come." He said. Kisame tried to run, but his sword was stuck to the floor.

"Easier said that done." Kisame said trying to pull his sword free. He managed to pull his sword our and ran.

"It's useless! No ninja had been born that had been able to survive this jutsu!" Jiraiya exclaimed. Itachi and Kisame ran around the corner straight towards a wall. Jiraiya sent a wall of flesh after them. Itachi used Amaterasu. He stared at the wall and black flames appeared and burned a hole in the wall large enough for Itachi and Kisame to escape. Jiraiya and Naruto ran to where Itachi and Kisame escaped. Kikuhana dropped to the floor catching her breath. I let out an enormous sigh and slid down the side of the wall. My heart was still pounding and my head was still dizzy.

* * *

"I didn't know at the time, but I kind of liked you back then." I said smiling.

"Did you now?" He responded.

"Yeah. What about you? What did you think of me back then?" I asked.

"To be honest, I was focused on my mission, so I didn't pay much attintion to you." Itachi answered. I laughed, but it was more of an embarrassed laugh.

"I can tell you what I think of you now though." He said giving me a small smile. I blushed and smiled.

"If you did, I'd probably be too light-headed to hear you." I said as my blush grew and laughed nervously once more. Itachi smiled at me.

"Come on, let's go back." He said as we began to walk back to the Akatsuki.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Itachi and I were walking back to the Akatsuki hideout when I looked up at him.

"Since we're talking about first meetings; do you remember when Kiku and I first came to the Akatsuki?" I asked him with my hands behind my back.

"Of course, I also remember how terrified you were of everyone." Itachi said as a small smile grew on his face. I felt my face grow hot as I laughed nervously.

"Yeah, I've always been afraid of strangers." I continued to walk and looked up at the clear blue sky, watching the clouds slowly pass by. I started to think back to the day Kikuhana and I first came to the Akatsuki hideout.

* * *

"Are you ready to go?" Kikuhana asked me in a serious tone.

"Yeah… let's do this." I replied in the same tone. My sister and I weren't completely satisfied with our lives in the Leaf Village anymore. Sasuke ran away from the Leaf Village to train under Orochimaru so he could one day defeat Itachi, thus, becoming a rouge ninja. Naruto went to train with Jiraiya so he could rescue Sasuke; but no one knew how long his training would take or how long he would be gone. After that encounter wit the two Akatsuki members, I've become much more paranoid. No one knew when they would just show up and try to take Naruto again. Plus, we didn't want to loose another friend like we lost Sasuke to the darkness. Kikuhana and I discussed running away to start a new life. We talked about it for several weeks until we came to our decision. Tonight was the night we were going to run away from the Leaf Village…forever. The clock read midnight. We had our bags packed of everything we needed and wanted to take with us. We walked through the quiet streets of the Leaf Village, passing by places we went to commonly. So many memories flashed through my mind as we walked. We finally came up to the village gate. We stared up at the gigantic, tall doors which separated the Leaf Village from the rest of the ninja world. I glanced over at my sister who kept her gaze on the gates.

"You're sure about this?" I asked her. She paused and looked at the ground.

"Yeah," She said lifting her head to look at me. We both knew as well as any other ninja that once a ninja sets foot outside their village's gate and they did not have permission from the village's Kage, they would be marked as a rouge ninja. After a few moments of hesitation, we walked through the Leaf Village's gate. We were now rouge ninjas.

About an hour later Kikuhana and I found ourselves walking through the forest in the pouring rain with no clue where we were going.

"Is there a small town or somewhere we can spend the night to get out of this rain?" I asked Kiku.

"I don't know. Everything looks the same in a forest. We could be walking in circles for all we know." Kiku replied, checking our surroundings.

"Well should we-" I was cut off by Kiku slapping her hand over my mouth.

"Shhhh." She hissed while listening carefully. I removed her hand from my mouth.

"What is it?" I asked quietly. She didn't reply, but continued listening. I could suddenly hear the faint sound of two male voices which sounded like they were coming our way. My eyes grew large as I mentally started to panic. Kiku grabbed my arm and dragged me into a bush. We both put our heads down low.

"Don't make a sound." She instructed. I nodded my head. The voices became closer and clearer.

"I'm so glad that mission's over with." One of the voices said.

"Yeah, but I wouldn't be surprised if we had another one waiting for us when we get back." The other voice said.

"Don't even joke about that. I want to get some time to relax before another mission, hmm." The first voice complained. We could now hear their footsteps. The two voices were loud and clear, so we knew they were only a few feet away from where Kikuhana and I were hiding. A leaf from the bush fell off and landed on my nose. As quietly as I could, I brushed the leaf off. When I placed my hand back down, my hand landed of a twig, snapping it in half. The footsteps and talking stopped.

"What's wrong, hmm?" The first one asked.

"I though I heard something in the bushes over there." The other replied. Our eyes widened and my throat tightened up.

"It's probably just a rabbet or something, yeah." Said the first voice.

"I'm gonna check it out." The second voice said. The footsteps splashing through the puddles caused by the rain came closer and closer until they stopped right in front of the bush. I froze in fear not knowing what the outcome of this would be. I could hear my own heart hammer in my ears. A pair of hands came through the bushes and pushed the branches apart. Kikuhana was sitting in front of me with a kunai in her hand, ready to attack of necessary. I was engulfed in fear as I tightly clutched the back of my sister's clothes. We looked up to see a boy with shaggy scarlet hair and ginger brown eyes with his gaze fixed on us.

"Deidara, come here." The boy called with his eyes still fixed on us.

"Did you find a rabbet, hmm?" The other voice asked. Another boy approached the bush and looked at us. This one had sky blue eyes and yellow hair with a long bang covering his right eye. He stared in confusion. The redhead nudged the blonde and both started whispering to each other. I kept my eyes on Kiku the whole time they we talking among themselves. She had the kunai gripped tightly in her hand and a glare frozen on the two males. After a few moments of whispering, the two boys looked back at us.

"Who are you two and where did you come from?" The redhead asked. I was too scared to talk, so I remained silent. Kikuhana hesitated at first, but then she spoke.

"We just ran away from our home in the Leaf Village. Who are you?" She spoke in an aggressive tone.

"So you ran away; from what, hmm?" Asked the blonde.

"You didn't answer my question. Who are you?" Kiku asked again, keeping the hostile tone in her voice.

"We're rouge ninja too. I came from the Rock Village, and my partner here came from the Sand Village, hmm." The blonde explained.

"You can drop the aggressive act and come out of the bushes, we won't hurt you." The redhead said in a calm voice. Kiku slowly put her kunai back in her weapon pouch and slowly got to her feet with me still clutching the back of her shirt. She still had her sword strapped to her back and knew she could easily whip it out if she needed stepped out of the bushes keeping our guard up.

"How rude, we haven't even introduced ourselves yet. I'm Deidara, hmm." The blonde said.

"And I'm Sasori." The redhead said.

"Kikuhana," my sister replied. I remained silent.

"What's your name?" Deidara asked me. I mumbled while still hiding behind my sister. Kiku took one slight step aside so I was no longer completely hidden by her.

"We couldn't hear you, hmm." Deidara said. I mumbled again. Deidara walked up to me, put his hand under my chin and lifted my face up. I blushed in surprise. I wasn't used to strangers being touching my face…especially not boys.

"Keep your head up and speak loudly and clearly when you talk, hmm." Deidara said with an amused smile on his face.

"My n-name is Hatone." I stuttered.

"Much better, hmm." Deidara half smiled. Kikuhana forcefully tossed Deidara's hand away from my face.

"Feisty, aren't you?" Deidara commented with amusement.

"No need to make the poor girls uncomfortable…" Sasori said sighing. "Anyway," Sasori continued. "Would you like to come with us? At least until the rain stops. What kind of people would we be if we just left you out here?" Sasori offered. I looked over at my sister who was looking back at me.

"I guess… it couldn't hurt." Kikuhana said in a more composed voice. I flashed worried eyes at her. She knew how terrified of strangers I was, and if it were up to me, there would be no way we'd go with them. "Relax, Hatone. If anything happens, I'll protect you." Kikuhana whispered to me with trusting eyes. I nodded.

My sister and I followed Sasori and Deidara, trusting them enough not to lead us into any kind of danger.

"Tell us, why did you girls leave your home, hmm?" Deidara asked, looking over his shoulder at us.

"We just weren't very happy there anymore." I answered a little quietly. We kept walking for several more minuets until we stopped at a cave with a giant boulder in front of it. There was a tag on the center of the boulder which had the Japanese symbols "forbidden" on it. I became slightly nervous when I read the tag, but didn't make too much of a fuss about it. Sasori did some hand signs and the giant boulder moved to the side reviling an entrance.

"Don't be scared. Come in, hmm." Deidara said waiting for us to walk in side the cave. We continued to follow Sasori and Deidara through the cave. They came to a stop at a door.

"Wait for us here. We'll be right back," Sasori told Kikuhana and me as he and Deidara went in the room. I waited outside the door with my sister wondering what would happen next now that we were in this strange cave where Sasori and Deidara led us to. A few minuets passed by when the door clicked open. Deidara stuck his head out the door.

"Come in, someone wants to see you two, hmm." He said holding the door open for us. Kikuhana and I exchanged glances before she walked into the room with me following her closely behind. The room was dimly lit; Sasori was standing there. A shadowy hologram of a man was standing in the room as well. The only thing we could see from the hologram was his eyes.

"These are the two girls we found, hmm." Deidara told the hologram. The hologram fixed his eyes on us.

"State your names and ninja rank." The hologram spoke.

"Kikuhana Kudasaki and I'm a Chunin." Kiku said in a clear, but alert voice.

"Hatone Kudasaki; I'm also a Chunin like my sister." I said stuttering a bit.

"I didn't know you two were sisters, hmm." Deidara said out loud.

"We both just ran away from our home in the Leaf Village." Kiku finished, ignoring Deidara's comment.

"Since you're both rouge ninja I would allow you to become members, but currently, there are no spots open. You can stay; you just won't be official members yet." The hologram said. Kiku and I got confused looks on our faces.

"Members for what?" I asked.

"This organization; the Akatsuki." He replied. Our eyes grew large.

"The Akatsuki? That's what this is? We don't want to be members of a criminal organization!" Kikuhana yelled in outrage.

"Well you should've thought that through before you followed Sasori and Deidara here. You know where the hideout is, we can't let you leave. Also, you may address me as Leader." He said in a normal tone. I became scared. If we had known Sasori and Deidara were S-ranked criminals we would've never followed them.

"Everyone in the meeting room at once." The leader spoke in a louder tone. Kikuhana and I cautiously followed Sasori, Deidara and the leader into a large, empty room. Five holograms appeared around the lamp-post. Two other members who were actually in the room rather than as a hologram came in and stood with the other people.

"There are two new rouge ninja here," The leader announced.

"Oh great, more members," said the hologram with his hair slicked back.

"Actually, Hidan, these two aren't official members yet. There are too many members currently in the Akatsuki. However they will be living here since they know where the hideout is." Leader clarified. He took a step aside.

"These are the new rouge ninja. They're sisters from the Leaf Village. You can all introduce yourselves to them." Leader finished.

"Hey, I know you two." An oddly familiar male voice spoke. Kiku and I, as did everyone else, looked to the direction where the voice was coming from. We looked to see a 6ft tall shark-man. Our eyes widened as we automatically recognized him. It was Kisame, the same guy who tried to kidnap Naruto and kill me and my sister in the process.

"Y-you!" I yelled in surprise.

"Kisame, you're familiar with them?" Leader asked.

"Yeah, those two girls are the same girls who got in the way of kidnapping the nine-tails brat. I never thought we'd meet again like this." Kisame explained. "Now that you're here, what do you say we finish where we left off?" Kisame said smirking as he walked towards us with his hand on his sword's handle. I got behind Kikuhana while she whipped her sword out of the sheath.

"Kisame," Another familiar and deep voice spoke. The person stepped out of the shadows and leaned against the wall. It was Itachi. "Don't start a fight with them," He said in his normal emotionless tone. Kisame groaned in disappointment.

"Fine," He stepped back.

"Even though they're not official members, I expect you all to be respectful." Leader said just before his hologram disappeared. The other holograms vanished as well. Kisame and Itachi left the room.

"Sorry about that," Sasori apologized. "Kisame likes to fight."

"We know," I replied.

"Anyway, there's an empty room down the hall. If you two don't mind sharing a room would you stay in there, hmm?" Deidara asked.

"Yeah, we've been sharing a room so we don't mind." Kiku said.

"We'll show you to your room so you can get some rest. You two had a long day." Sasori said. We followed the boys again through the hideout. They led us to room which had one twin-sized bed and a sofa.

"Will this do for now?" Sasori asked.

"Yes, it's fine. Thanks guys." Kiku replied.

"Yeah, thanks for letting us stay." I said to them.

"No problem, hmm." Deidara said giving a smile.

"You're welcome, good night." Sasori said.

* * *

"Despite our differences at first, we became good friends with Kisame!" I said laughing to myself.

"Yeah, I remember that." Itachi said.

"We never really came to trust the other members." I said.

"You were smart not too. The others are nothing but trouble." Itachi replied.

"Yeah," I said as I started to stare off. I looked up at Itachi who looked like he was in thought. "What is it?" I asked him.

"I want to take you somewhere, come on." He said taking my hand and leading me in another direction.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

Itachi lead me into a nearby town. We walked in and I looked around.

"Why did you take me here?" I asked him still looking around the town.

"There's a tea shop here that I though you might like." He explained.

"Tea shop?" I asked turning my head to the side.

"Yeah, I like to visit different tea shops. It's a hobby of mine." He said looking ahead, then back down at me. I stared backup at him and smiled.

"Ok, let's go." I hugged his arm as we walked through the streets. All the time I've spent with him felt like it went on forever, and yet it passes by so quickly. Every moment I spent with Itachi I cherished. I didn't think I could feel such bliss just by walking with him.

We got to the front entrance of the tea shop. Itachi held the door open as I walked in. We sat down in a booth in the corner of the shop and Itachi ordered tea.

The waitress walked up to our table and put two cups of hot tea in front of us.

"Thank you," I said picking up the tea.

"No problem," The waitress smiled and walked away. I rested my head on Itachi's shoulder and took a sip of the hot tea. Itachi took a drink of his tea.

"Tell me," He said resting the tea cup on the table. I turned my head to look at his face. "How did you fall in love with me?" He asked looking at me. I smiled and blushed. I lifted my head off his shoulder.

"It's… kind of hard to explain just from words. I mean it didn't all happen at once, it's never that easy. After I first met you, I kept thinking about you…thinking about when I'd see you again. It wasn't until five years later when we met again. You were different, but I still kept thinking about you. After that was when I knew I had a crush on you. I wanted to see you so badly. But it was more than just that. The next time we met I wanted to be allies, not enemies. At the time I didn't really know it, but you kind of were part of the reason I ran away from the Leaf Village. It took us a bit of a while to get used to the Akatsuki. Even though we never really spent a lot of time with each other, I started to fall in love with you. I get nervous talking to certain people, and I was afraid of was trying to talk to you and telling you how I felt. I practiced my speech about telling you my feelings everyday. Not a day goes by when I don't think of you..." I paused for a brief moment. "I wish there was a way for me to show you _exactly_ how I feel about you." I glanced up and him and started to feel my throat tighten. I always became very nervous when talking about things like that. Itachi kissed me lightly on my head.

"You worry too much," He smiled and whispered in my ear, making me blush and shutter a bit.

"W-what about you? What is it about me that's different?" I asked glancing up at him.

"I'm not really sure. I didn't know why, but you started to catch my attention; and because of that, I wanted to be around you. I though you were pretty, but that wasn't everything, you fascinate me. After we started going on missions together, I noticed that when I'm around you I feel peaceful. I liked it; I like your company. That being said, when I wasn't around you the peaceful feeling went away. I went back to feeling isolated and alone. It's strange to explain, but you make me happy, and that's something I haven't been in a long time." He said the last part looking down at my red face. I couldn't breathe and my head was spinning. I didn't realize that my presence alone did so much for him, and it made me feel special.

"I always wanted to know what you thought of me…but I had no idea that that's how I made you feel." I said with the room still spinning. A small smile curled on his face.

"Now you know." He put his arm around me and pulled me closer to him. Itachi glanced at my tea cup and saw that it was empty.

"Come on, let's get you home. I wouldn't want your sister to become concerned." He said standing to his feet. I stared up at him.

"Sister..?" I asked dazed. "Oh! Yeah, Kiku," I said snapping out of my daze. I got out of my seat and followed Itachi out the door, walking outside. Itachi took a few steps until he stopped in front of me. I paused and looked up at him, locking my eyes with his.

"What is it?" I asked. Itachi lifted his hand and brushed a lock of my hair behind my ear.

"My mother would've loved you." He said as he stroked the side of my face. I looked down. I never liked talking about Itachi's family in front of him because I didn't know how it made him feel. It was obviously a complement, but I didn't know what to say. The awkward silence broke when I felt something tugging on my pants. Itachi and I both looked to my side to see a little blonde girl who looked to be about 5 years old.

"Excuse me miss!" She said in her baby voice as she tugged on my pants again. I bent down so I was eye-level with her.

"Yes? Can I help you?" I asked kindly.

"I lost my bracelet; can you help me find it?" She asked innocently.

"Yes of course. What does your bracelet look like?"

"It has blue, pink, white and orange seashells." The little girl explained while making lots of hand movements.

"Ok, I'll start looking for it."

"Yay!" The little girl shouted happily. She took my hand and started pulling me in a direction. She paused and looked over her shoulder at Itachi.

"You can help too!" She said while taking Itachi's hand as well. Itachi and I both stared at each other while the little girl led us somewhere. I could tell by the expression on his face he was confused by this situation. She led us to a quieter part of the town.

"This is where I last remember having it with me." She said as she started searching for the bracelet. I glanced over at Itachi, and then started looking around for the bracelet. After about five minutes of searching, I found a bracelet with multicolored seashells. I picked it up off the ground and held it out I front of me.

"Is this it?" I asked the little girl, catching her attention. She turned around and ran over to me.

"Yes! That's my bracelet!" She shouted in an excited tone. I put it around her tiny wrist.

"There you go," I said giving her a big, friendly smile.

"Thank you so much!" She yelled as she wrapped her small arms around my neck and hugged me as hard as she could. I gently put my arms around her, hugging her back.

"You're welcome, sweetie." I said. The little girl let go of me. "You should get back to your mom before she gets worried." I told her.

"Ok. Thank you again, bye-bye!" She waved as she ran off. I smiled as I watched her go. Itachi walked up behind me.

"It seems you do well with children." Itachi commented.

"Oh, yeah I used to babysit a lot back in the village." I smiled somewhat awkwardly.

"I need to take you back now." Itachi said looking up at the sky.

"Ok," I hugged his arm as we walked through the town and forest. We stopped when we were still in the forest, but the Akatsuki entrance was clear in sight.

"You go ahead of me. I'll go in after you." He explained to me.

"Ok. Thank you for taking me out, I had a lot of fun." I thanked him with a smile on my face. He smiled back.

"Anything for you." He said kissing me on my forehead. I walked inside the hideout, too busy lost in my thoughts to realize what was going on around me. I snapped out of my thoughts for a moment when Deidara and Tobi passed me in the hallway. I paused and turned my head around.

"Deidara, where are you going?" I asked confused.

"I have that mission, remember, hmm?" Deidara groaned.

"Oh yeah," I said remembering that he was forced to take Tobi with him. "Good luck, you're definitely gonna need it." I said to him. Deidara muttered to himself as he walked away with Tobi following him. Normally I would feel bad for Deidara since he was stuck with someone as annoying as Tobi, but at the time I didn't care. I was too focused on everything Itachi said to me today.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

It was a nice day out. The air was clean, and at the perfect temperature. The sky was filled with big, white clouds that looked like cotton floating in the sky. I decided not to stay cooped up in the gloomy cave, and went out side. I walked for the entrance and did the hand signs which moved the giant boulder that was blocking the entrance, out of the way. I walked outside and felt the cool air against my face. I looked off to the side and saw Itachi sleeping peacefully under a tree. His head was tilted slightly to the side, and one arm rested on his knee, while the other arm was by his side. My eyes widened as I felt the heat rise to my face. It wasn't everyday I found him like this, and I wanted document it. I quickly, but quietly rushed back inside and into my room. I pulled open all the drawers and looked on the top shelf of the closet, looking for the camera.

"What are you doing?" Kikuhana asked as she started picking up the mess I was making.

"Kiku! Where's the camera?" I asked her, eagerly waiting for a response.

"It's in the table beside my side of the bed. Why do you want it?" She asked. I rushed over to the table, picked up the camera and turned it on to make sure the battery wasn't dead.

"Itachi is sleeping under a tree outside and I want to take a picture of him. It's really cute!" I explained with a hit of pink on my cheeks.

"Aww, why don't you draw him instead of taking a picture?" She suggested. I looked up at her.

"That's a great idea!" I said. I pulled out the box of my art equipment that was under the bed. I took out a sketch pad, a box of colored pencils and sketching pencils. I gathered them up and headed for the door. I put one hand on the door knob and looked over my shoulder.

"Thanks sis," I said right before leaving the room. I walked back outside to see Itachi still sleeping in the same position. I sat down on a rock which was directly across from where Itachi was sleeping. I set my box of pencils down on the ground beside the rock I was sitting on. I glanced up at him before I started sketching the tree. I paid close attention to the leaves, to make sure I got the details correct. It didn't take me long to draw the tree and the rest of the background before I started drawing Itachi. 30 to 45 minutes passed until I was finished with the drawing. I held out the picture in front of me.

_Should I color it now or later? Maybe I should do it now. If not than I won't be able to shadow it properly._ I thought to myself. I glanced passed the drawing pad and looked at Itachi who was still sleeping, and back at the picture. _Well, I did shade the areas where there are shadows…_ I thought as I started to change my mind. I closed up the drawing pad and stood up. I put the pad on the rock I was sitting on, and carefully walked up to Itachi. I got on the ground and crawled close to him. I put my face inches away from his, my face getting hotter the closer I got. I leaned closer to his lips.

"What are you doing?" Itachi asked me, opening his eyes. I froze with my eyes big from surprise.

"I uh," I blinked, unable to speak. He smiled at me.

"Come on, sit." He said patting the ground beside him. I got up and sat down beside him.

"Did you finish your drawing?" He asked me, looking at my face. I paused and blinked.

"How long were you awake?" I asked with my face still hot.

"For the past fifteen minutes. But I wanted you to finish so I pretended to be asleep." He said looking up at the sky.

"Thank you," I said as a small smile appeared on my face. A moment of silence passed before I spoke again. "So what do you want to do today? I was thinking maybe we could go to the tea shop again, if you want." I asked looking up at him. Itachi frowned.

"I can't take you anywhere today…I have a mission." He replied.

"Oh…well, when you get back?" I asked, saddened but trying to sound hopeful.

"The mission will take at least a month and a half." Itachi explained, his tone getting quieter.

"A-a month and a half?" I shouted. My expression was a mix of worry, sadness and shock. Itachi stood to his feet and I did as well. "I can't be away from you for that long!" I yelled with concern building up in my voice.

"I don't want to go. Believe me, if I had a choice I would let someone else take care of it." He told me, his tone almost a whisper. I hung my head low. I didn't know if I should scream in anger or cry. Itachi wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into a hug.

"I'm sorry. When I get back I'll make it up to you, I promise." He whispered in my ear. I felt tears starting to swell up in my eyes. I choked them back. The last thing I wanted to do was cry in front of him.

"Okay…" I said quietly. Itachi pulled me back so he could see my face. He gazed into my tear-filled eyes and his expression turned to sorrow.

"Please, don't be upset." He said holding my shoulders. I just nodded; I knew if I said anything the tears would fall. I locked my gaze on the ground, but Itachi kept his eyes on me.

"I love you," Itachi said putting his hand on my cheek. I put my hand over his and griped it lightly, with my gaze still on the ground.

"It's because I love you is why I don't want you to go." I whispered, my voice starting to crack.

"I'll be back as soon as I can." He said, trying to make me feel a little better.

"Whatever you do just be safe…please." I said, gripping his hand tighter and choking back the tears as much as I could.

"I will be," Itachi lifted my face up and softly touched his lips to mine. I close my eyes softly and savored the kiss. He let go of my face and turned around to walk away. My head drooped and my bangs fell over my eyes. I stood there like that while listening to the footsteps fade away as a single tear fell down my face.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

Things have been different since Itachi left for his mission several weeks ago. The days were longer, I had practically nothing to do, and everything was simply boring. It saddened me, being away from him. However I didn't want the others to know that, so whenever they were around I faked a smile so they wouldn't be suspicious. I kept most of my thoughts to myself. When I was alone I would mumble to myself, which was something I did normally.

"Hey Chicky," Kikuhana greeted, leaning over the table I was sitting at. I lifted my head from my hand.

"Huh? What?" I asked, snapping out of my daze.

"I'm totally bored and there's nothing to do." She stated with a bored expression written on her face. I stared at her for a moment.

"Go bug Sasori or Kisame." I told her, resting my chin in my palm.

"I already did," Kiku replied almost immediately. "And because Deidara isn't here I can't annoy him. So let's go shopping." This caught my interest.

"Shopping?" I questioned.

"Yeah, we haven't done it in forever, come on." My sister took my wrist and started dragging me towards the exit. I let Kikuhana lead the way to wherever we were going. Knowing her she must have planned this out days ago. As we walked through the forest Kikuhana rambled on. I wasn't paying that much attention to what she was saying. I only listened enough so I could answer any questions she threw my way.

"Ok sissy, we're here." Kiku announced. While we walked through the streets of the small town, I noticed it felt oddly familiar. I decided not to let it bother me and kept walking. Kiku and I went into about three different stores, trying stuff on. We bought a few things from each store. We mostly wore our ninja clothes so we didn't buy much. I was glad that my sister decided for us to go out today. I had been feeling so gloomy for the past few weeks, and staying cooped up inside that cave wasn't helping much. I always had fun with my sister, wherever we were. A girls day out was what I needed to help get my mind off things. Kikuhana and I finished eating and we continued to explore the town. Something caught my eye. I stopped in the middle of the street and stared at a restaurant.

"What are you looking at?" Kiku asked me, her gaze following mine.

"Nothing, it's just…something about that place, it seems so, familiar." I explained hesitantly. Kikuhana studied the building for a minute.

"Uh, we've never been there. At least I don't think." She said in an unsure tone.

"Whatever, let's just keep going." I said shaking my head. Kiku shrugged and started walking again. As I followed my sister I couldn't help but wonder why I couldn't shake this feeling of déjà vu; and then it hit me. This town was the same place Itachi took me on our first date. I stopped in my tracks. Butterflies swarmed in my stomach and my throat tightened up to the point where I could barley breathe. I began coughing loudly. I held onto my throat and I tried to catch my breath in between coughs.

"Are you ok?" Kiku asked alarmed as she rushed to my side.

"No," I choked out. She pressed the back of her hand against my cheek.

"You're pretty warm." She confirmed. "Did you catch a cold?" She asked.

"I think so." I lied. I wasn't sick; I knew what was wrong with me. It was because Itachi was away that I couldn't breathe.

"Come on, let's go back." Kiku said, guiding me along the way.

Once we arrived back at the Akatsuki, the medical ninja in Kikuhana kicked in and she made me take a nap. I didn't argue with her. I went inside of my room and lied down on the bed. It wasn't long before I fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

I wasn't quite sure where I was. Everything was dark and I could only see about two steps in front of myself. I walked through the emptiness, thinking I would find something or someone if I walked. The only sound I heard was my footsteps echoing. I saw a faint light in the distance. I walked closer to it until I saw a figure standing there alone. It was Itachi.

"Itachi!" I shouted in delight as I walked closer to him. He didn't seem to hear me. I took a few more steps forward until I was another figure standing straight across from Itachi. I didn't recognize the other person at first, and yet he seemed extremely familiar. My eyes locked on the person until I realized that it was Sasuke. I stared at him in amazement. I understood why I didn't recognize him. He was older, stronger, and more power-hungry. Sasuke raised his hand and a blue ball of electricity formed in his hand. "He's using Chidori!" I gasped. Sasuke charged at Itachi with everything he had. "Itachi get out of the way!" I yelled, but Itachi didn't make a single movement. I kept yelling at him to run but he didn't hear me. My voice appeared muffled no matter how loud I raised my voice. Sasuke hit Itachi in the chest with Chidori, making blood trickle down to the floor. My eyes widened in horror. "NO!" I screamed on top of my lungs as I ran as fast as my legs would carry me, but I wasn't moving. No matter how fast I ran or how loud I screamed, I wasn't getting any closer, and my voice could not be heard. "No, Itachi, no!" I cried with tears flowing down my face. I dropped to the floor and cried. I could hear my name being called faintly in the distance.

"Hatone! Hatone, wake up! You're dreaming!" The voices started to become clearer.

* * *

I let out large gasp as I jolted up to a sitting position. My eyes were wide open and I was panting hard.

"Are you alright?" An alarmed voice asked. I snapped my head to the side to see Kikuhana, Sasori and Deidara all staring at me wide-eyed. I closed my eyes and let out a relieved sigh.

_It was just a dream._ I mentally told myself. "Yeah… yeah I think so." I responded calmer now that I knew what I just witnessed didn't happen.

"What did you dream about?" Sasori asked. I stared down at my hands which were still grasping the bed sheets. I slowly released my grip.

"I…I don't remember. I forget the moment I woke up." I lied.

"Are you sure about that?" Sasori questioned.

"Yeah," I lied again. "Why?" I asked.

"Because you were crying, hmmm." Deidara pointed out. I looked up at him with a puzzled expression. I lifted my hand to my face and felt my cheek which was wet. I pulled my hand back and I watched the teardrop on my fingertip roll down to the center of my palm. It was very rare when I would cry in my sleep, but it has happened before. I wasn't sure why but it felt strange.

"Well nothing bad happened and that's all that matters." Kikuhana said. The room was silent for a moment. I looked up at Deidara.

"When did you get back?" I asked him.

"Like five minutes ago. The first thing that happened to me when I got back was your sister dragging me in here to wake you up because she thought you were dying. Hmmm." He explained dryly.

"I never said she was dying." Kiku muttered while sending a small glare at Deidara. She focused her attention back to me. "Come on, I'll get you something to eat." She stood up. I tossed the covers off and got to my feet. "I suppose I should feed the rest of you too." She muttered.

"It's not like we can't cook for ourselves. How do you think we survived before you came along, hmmm?" Deidara asked sarcastically.

"To be honest I don't know. You can _not_ cook." Kiku commented.

"Oh it's not that bad! Don't be over dramatic, hmmm." Deidara said becoming annoyed.

The four of us made our way towards the kitchen. Kikuhana and Deidara started arguing on who could cook and who couldn't. I was walking behind them, hoping that Itachi would be back from his mission soon. I couldn't stand being away from him any longer.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Ever since Itachi left for his mission over a month ago, things haven't been the same to me. From the day I confessed my love for him, which was the same day I became his girlfriend, I spent time with him everyday, even if it was a little or a lot. I missed him terribly, I couldn't deny that. However I tried to put on a smile and lie to my sister, telling her there was nothing bothering me when there indeed was. I was feeling worse today than I've normally been feeling.

"Hey, Kiku," I called to my sister in a quiet voice. She looked up from whatever she was doing.

"Hey Hatone, are you feeling any better today?" She asked me, still thinking I was sick.

"Yeah I'm feeling much better." I lied with a fake smile. "I was thinking about going for a walk." I told her.

"Sure, just give me a minute and we can go." She responded.

"Actually, I was gonna go by myself." I said, my voice becoming a little quieter.

"_You're_ gonna go alone?" Kikuhana asked with an eyebrow arched. I knew she would think that was suspicious. I never liked being alone; there were very few times I wanted to be by myself.

"I won't go very far, I just need some fresh air." I explained.

"Alright then, have fun." Kikuhana said, going back to her work.

"Bye," I said walking away. I exited the Akatsuki hideout and walked outside. The sun was going down, although it was hard to tell because it had been cloudy all day. I looked up at the grey sky, deeply inhaled the clean air and began walking. Now that I was alone I was able to put away the forced smile. My head was down; I kept my eyes locked on my feet as I walked. I didn't choose a specific place to go. I just walked, wanting to be alone. I felt a cold drop of water splash on my shoulder. I paused and stared up at the dull cloud-filled sky. Rain came pouring down from the sky, drenching me with water. The showering noise of the rain filled the forest. I dropped my head back down and decided to continue walking. As I walked, memories and images of Itachi came flooding into my mind. I could picture Itachi's beautiful smile on his perfect features. I remembered the way his hand felt on my cheek and the chemistry in the air whenever we were around each other. I started to think back to when I was still secretly in love with him.

* * *

"Oh come on, why won't you do it?" The memory of my sister's voice came into my head. "Just walk up to him and tell him how he makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside." Kikuhana told me in a chipper tone. I remembered the way my sister's words made me blush.

"No! I'm not gonna walk up to him and randomly blurt out my feelings!" I exclaimed nervously.

"It's not that hard. All you have to do is say three little words." She said in a sing-song voice as she nudged my arm playfully.

"I couldn't! I just couldn't!"

* * *

As my little flashback ended, a small smile grew to my face. The way Kiku used to tease me about being too afraid to admit my feelings could be a bit annoying at times, but I always listened to and thought about what she said. If I never worked up the courage to confess, then I would spend the rest of my life wondering "what if?" That thought crossing my mind brought up another memory that happened not too long ago. Itachi brought me to a lake at night. I remembered perfectly the way the moonlight reflected off the water.

* * *

We sat in the cool, soft, green grass by the waters edge.

"Tell me," Itachi spoke in his deep, velvet, soothingly beautiful voice. "When you first became a rouge ninja, did you have any regrets about leaving the village?" He asked his onyx eyes fixed on me.

"Well to be honest I did. For the first few days I was wondering if I made the right choice or not." I admitted.

"If you regret it or not I'm definitely glad you're here." He smiled as he kissed my cheek. I blushed and giggled lightly.

"Me too," I agreed.

* * *

My eyes started to fill with tears at the memory. I missed Itachi so much that it hurt to think about things like that. My thoughts were cut off when the thunder boomed, making me jump. I had been so wrapped up in my thoughts that I almost forgot it was raining from the time I started walking. But more importantly, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. I looked around and I wasn't familiar with my surroundings. My paranoia started to kick in and I began to panic a little. I turned around, trying to find my way back while quickening my pace.

_Everything's fine, you're not lost. You will find your way back in no time and nothing bad will happen._ I mentally told myself trying to stay as calm as possible. The thunder rolled which sounded like a low growl. The panic inside me boiled up with each step I took and I moved a little faster. Whenever I was alone I got a haunting feeling like I was being followed, even though I knew no one was there. My eyes flashed to my left and then to my right as I moved quickly through the maze of a forest. I kept looking over my shoulder every time I stepped on a twig or when a small animal would rustle in a bush. I tried to retrace my steps, however since I didn't pay attention to where I was going I had little luck. Thunder crashed again, sounding like two massive boulders smashing together. The loud noise scared me and sent me into a full sprint. The trees blurred pass me while I ran as fast as my legs would carry me. I kept running until I tripped over a tree root. I came splashing down into a puddle. I used my hands to push myself off the ground and I sat in the wet forest floor, completely soaked in water. I crawled over to a tree and sat under it to get out of the rain. I sat on the ground with my back leaning against the moss-covered tree trunk. I tucked my knees up to my chest and I wrapped my arms around my legs.

"It's ok, everything's ok." I lied to myself, feeling the tears starting to swell up in my eyes. "I'll just wait here for a little while until the rain goes down and then I can go back." I told myself, my voice starting to shake. I sat there curled up in a ball and just waited. The thunder boomed. This time a large leaf holding a good amount of rain water spilled over and the icy water splashed on my head. I gasped when the cold water made contact with my skin. I curled up tightly into a ball and tears began streaking down my face.

"Why? Why is this happening?" I shouted to no one as tears flowed down my cheeks and onto the ground. "I'm wet and cold and I have no idea where I am!" I yelled into the empty forest. "The only reason I wanted to come out here was to be alone…but now I'm scared and I'm lost and I want to go home!" Home. A place where someone feels safe loved and welcome. The Akatsuki was nothing like that, not at all, but it was the only home I had. "It's not fair. I've been suffering for weeks being away from him. I've been feeling horrible and the only thing that will make me happy is being with him…! Itachi, I miss Itachi!" I cried harder and harder. I kept crying and didn't stop until I heard a footstep splash in a puddle. I became silent right away and my eyes snapped open. My head was still down. I didn't look to see whoever was standing there. If anyone came to look for me I hoped that it was Kikuhana. I didn't want anyone else to see me crying. I turned my head with hesitation and I looked up. My eyes grew large. Itachi stood a few feet away from me, soaked from the rain. I stared at his angelic face, wondering if Itachi was really standing in front of me or if all of this was just a dream. My dark brown eyes were locked with his midnight black eyes. Thunder boomed loudly again. I jolted up and ran into Itachi's open arms. I clutched his cloak and I cried into his chest. Itachi had his arms wrapped tightly around me and he held me close.

"I missed you so much!" I exclaimed with tears pouring down my face.

"I know, and I missed you. I'm sorry…I'm sorry I was gone for so long and how much pain it caused you. But I'm here now, and everything will be alright." He told me. I started to calm down by listening to Itachi. The sweet sound of his beautiful voice soothed me. I listened to and thought about his words. He was here with me, right now, and everything was alright. All of the stress, the anger, the pain and the feeling of isolation left my body with each tear I let fall. Nether one of us said anything. We just stood in the pouring rain in each other's embrace. I buried my face into his chest and inhaled his sweet sent. Itachi released his hold from me. He placed his hands on my shoulders and pulled me back so he could look at my face. He wiped away the remaining tears from my eyes. We gazed deeply into each other's eyes for what felt like an eternity. I put my arms around his neck and Itachi wrapped his arms around my waist. We pulled each other close until our lips met. I missed this. Being in the loving warming embrace of his arms, feelings his lips on mine and just spending time with him. We broke the kiss after one long minute and went back to staring into each other's eyes. I brought my hand to the side of his face. I lightly stroked his cheek with my thumb. He was beautiful, so beautiful that I could never take my eyes away from him. Itachi unbuttoned his cloak and slid it off. He wrapped the over-sized cloak around me.

"You're shivering," Itachi noticed. The inside of the cloak was dry, warm and covered in Itachi's sent. I hadn't realized how cold it was until Itachi pointed it out.

"But what about you?" I asked concerned if the weather would bother him.

"I'll be fine." He reassured me, smiling softly. "Let's get back before you catch a cold." He added. Itachi lifted me up into his arms. I heard the light splashing sound of Itachi stepping in puddles as he walked. I was relaxed and calm. I felt safe being held by the man I was in love with. I rested my head against his chest. I listened to the rhythm of his heartbeat and I noticed something slightly different. His heart, it was beating faster than usual. This of course made my heart go faster. Despite the cold rain, Itachi was very warm and his cloak shielded me from the rain. I looked up at his face the whole time. Itachi was looking straight ahead and he looked as if he was in deep thought. The raindrops from the tips of his hair dripped down and fell onto my forehead and cheeks. Itachi's gaze switched down to me. He smiled.

"We're almost there." He told me. A light shade of pink dusted on my face. I stared up at Itachi and listened to his heartbeat, wanting this moment to never end. My eyes began to feel heavy. I tried to fight the sleepy feeling, but I was just so comfortable in his arms that I fell asleep.

Itachi made it back to the Akatsuki with me sleeping in his arms. He went straight to my room. The door clicked open and the room was empty. Itachi laid me down on the bed. He gently took the cloak off and pulled the bed sheets over me. He brushed the back of his hand against my cheek. Itachi pulled his hand away, about to leave when I reached out and grabbed his wrist. He paused.

"Don't go…please." I whispered. Itachi turned around to face me.

"I'll stay." He told me. "But only until you fall asleep." He added. I smiled sleepily.

"Okay," I nodded. Itachi pulled up a chair beside the bed and sat in it. He softly stroked my long golden orange hair and he kept his gaze on me. I tried as hard as I could to stay awake but my eyes would no longer stay open.

"Itachi…?" I called to him, now barley awake.

"Yes, Hatone?" He answered his voice like velvet.

"I love you." I murmured.

"I love you too." He responded with a little smile. Drowsiness overtook me and within a matter of minutes I was completely sound asleep. Itachi glanced at the clock and saw that it was midnight. He got to his two feet and put the chair back where it was. He bent down closer to my ear. "I promise you Hatone, I will get you out of here one day." Itachi whispered to me. He touched his lips to my forehead and left the room, shutting the door behind him.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

I woke up the next morning in my bed. I looked to my side and saw Kikuhana sitting in the chair while listening to music. She looked up at me and then paused the music player.

"Good morning," She greeted me with a smile. I sat up and looked around the room in a daze. "Sorry I was out so late last night." Kiku said as she took the earphones out of her ears. "Kisame was teaching me a new water jutsu and once you get him to start training you can't stop. I didn't get back until about 1:00 in the morning." She explained. I was flustered, trying to think straight. I was trying to recall if everything that happened yesterday was a dream or if Itachi really did come back from his mission.

"When you came into the room last night, no one was here, right?" I asked my sister in a somewhat confused tone.

"No," Kiku responded, puzzled by my question. "Why, was there supposed to be someone here?" She asked suspiciously. I shook my head, snapping myself out of my daze.

"No, there wasn't." I answered. I ran my hand down my hair and noticed that it was wavy. My hair naturally became wavy whenever it was wet. I threw the covers off of myself and noticed that I was still in my ninja clothes. I stood to my feet and looked around.

"Are you ok?" Kikuhana asked me puzzled by my actions.

"So nothing was out of place, everything was exactly the way you left it?" I asked her.

"Yeah… Hatone, what's going on?" She asked starting to become concerned.

"I'll explain in a bit. I have to check something." I said making my way towards the door. My sister stared at me completely lost as to why I was acting the way I was. I walked around the Akatsuki hideout looking for Itachi. After I checked every room in the cave I went out side. I looked over my shoulder watching the boulder cover the entrance. I took one step forward and crashed into someone. I looked up at saw Itachi looking back at me. I rushed to his arms and hugged him.

"It wasn't a dream!" I said out loud still embracing him. He knew what I meant. He just hugged me back and stroked my wavy hair.

"I'm sorry," He said after a few moments of silence. I looked up at Itachi's face and our eyes locked. "I know I said that a lot yesterday, but I feel terrible about leaving you for so long." He admitted, caressing the side of my face. "I'll make it up to you." He said, pulling me back so he could look at my face. "But it will have to wait until tonight, ok?" He told me.

"Ok," I said nodding my head and staring into his eyes.

"Meet me back out here after sundown, alright?" He instructed.

"Alright. But for what?" I asked.

"It's a surprise." Itachi said smiling a bit. He kissed me on my forehead and I went back inside the hideout.

* * *

I walked outside of the Akatsuki after sundown like Itachi said. He came walking out from behind a tree.

"Hey," I smiled at him.

"Hey," He smiled back. Itachi pulled something out from his cloak. "You wouldn't mind putting this on, would you?" He asked, holding up a blindfold.

"What for?" I asked.

"It's like I said, it's a surprise." He smiled and walked behind me. Itachi brushed my hair back, making me blush and tied the blindfold around my eyes. "Come on," Itachi said, taking my hand. I couldn't see anything. I listened to our footsteps as Itachi lead me.

_Where could he be taking me?_ I thought to myself. After several minutes of walking blindly through the forest, we stopped.

"We're here." Itachi announced as he untied my blindfold. It was night. I opened my eyes to see a beautiful lake with the moon reflecting off the water. Right beside the lake there was a blanket with a picnic basket and candles.

"Itachi, you did all this?" I asked in wonder, still staring at the scene.

"I told you I would make it up to you." He said smiling at me.

"Thank you so much." I said with a blush. We both went over to the blanket and sat down on it. Itachi opened the picnic basket and started feeding me.

"I hated being away from you for a month." Itachi said, breaking the silence.

"I did too." I said with my gaze on the ground.

"It's funny, the whole time I was gone I couldn't breathe. But when I saw you again I could breathe again. That's never happened before." Itachi said with his eyes fixed on the lake. I remembered back to when I was in the middle of town with my sister and I started choking.

"That's happened to me plenty of times before." I said glancing up at his face. There was so much I wanted to say to him. I just wasn't sure where to start or how to say it. "I'm sorry you saw me like that." I said in a quieter tone. Itachi looked over at me and I was staring at the lake. "Last night. You weren't supposed to see me like that." I admitted.

"Hatone," Itachi spoke as he scooted closer to me. "I hated seeing you crying like that." I avoided eye contact. I didn't like talking about this, but last night _did _happen and this conversation _was_ coming weather I liked it or not. "I promise I won't leave you again." He said putting his hand under my chin and turning my face towards his. There was so much passion in his eyes. Every word he spoke, he meant.

"Ok," I said as I nodded my head once. I leaned forward a few inches and kissed his lips. I wrapped my arms around him and rested my head on his chest. Itachi leaned his head down and brushed his nose to mine. I kissed Itachi again.

"I love you, Itachi." I whispered.

"I love you, Hatone." He said brushing my check.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

It was another boring day at the Akatsuki. I was on my way to Itachi's room to see if he wanted to go out somewhere. I stood in front of his door and knocked lightly.

"Who is it?" Itachi's voice was heard from outside the room.

"It's Hatone." I answered.

"Come in," I placed my hand on the door knob and clicked the door open. I stepped into his room.

"Hey Itachi, would you like to—" I cut myself off when I saw Itachi standing on the other side of the room without a shirt on. My eyes grew large as my face flushed red. "I'm sorry!" I apologized, dropping my head.

"For what?" Itachi asked me, slightly confused by my sudden behavior.

"For walking in on you—I didn't know..." I stuttered.

"It's fine. It doesn't bother me." Itachi said with a little smile. I looked back up at him, my heart accelerating, but this time I noticed something on his right shoulder.

I recognized the symbol. The ANBU Black Ops all had that tattoo on his or her shoulder. I knew that Itachi was an ANBU caption when he was 13, so I assumed he got it then. Itachi put his shirt on and walked over to me. He put on hand on my burning cheek and just stared at me without saying a word.

"What?" I asked, looking up at him with a blush.

"Nothing, it's just the way you blush. It's cute." He told me, smiling sweetly. Of course, hearing him say that only made me turn redder. We stood like that for a few more moments until Itachi's smile disappeared and he sighed.

"What's wrong?" I asked him, becoming concerned.

"A meeting," He said as he reached for his cloak.

"Oh…" I responded quietly.

"I'll see you in a while." Itachi said as he kissed me on my forehead and walked out of the room. I walked out as well and closed the door behind me. I headed for the exit, knowing that my sister would be outside. I was still light-headed from what had just happened moments earlier. I finally made it outside and saw Kikuhana sitting on a large rock. I went to go sit down beside her, but ended up tripping.

"Nice to see you too," Kiku said to me as I stood up off the ground. "Are you ok?" She asked.

"No," I said taking a seat next to her. I explained to my sister about what had happened with me and Itachi not too long ago. Kikuhana was holding onto her sides laughing.

"It's not funny!" I yelled at her with my face turning pink.

"Are you kidding? That's hilarious! I just wish I could've been there to see your face!" She said in between laughs. I just stared at her annoyed. The boulder that was in front of the entrance started to move. Kikuhana and I turned to see Sasori and Deidara walk outside. Both of them were wearing the straw hats Akatsuki members would sometimes wear, and Sasori was inside of his puppet, Hiruko.

My sister and I both assumed they were assigned to a mission.

"What's the mission?" Kiku asked them. Sasori just groaned in an annoyed tone. I never really liked his puppet Hiruko. For one thing, it made Sasori's voice sound deeper and rougher, and it just wasn't him.

"We're on our way to capture a tailed beast, hmm." Deidara said.

"Which one?" I asked.

"The host of the One-Tailed Shukaku, Gaara of the Desert." Deidara answered. Both my and Kikuhana's eyes snapped wide open in shock. "Apparently he's the Kazekage." Deidara added. Kikuhana and I knew Gaara three years ago.

"Let's just hurry up and get this mission over with." Sasori said sourly. Sasori was originally from the Sand Village, and he hasn't been back there in years. Because he had to go back to his former home village was probably why he wasn't happy about the mission.

"Alright, alright. Well, see you girls later." Deidara smiled at us and proceeded walking.

We waited until Sasori and Deidara were no longer in sight before we stared at each other in horror. Both of us knew this day would come. The day when we would have to hunt, capture, and even kill Gaara, and soon, Naruto. I was starting to panic as Kikuhana and I talked about possible outcomes from all this. We stopped when we heard someone coming out of the cave. We turned around to see Itachi and Kisame. Kikuhana was able to regain her posture much faster than I was.

"Come on," Kisame said to me and my sister, waiving us over.

"What? Where are we going?" Kikuhana asked, confused.

"Well, I assume that you two have already heard about the new mission." Kisame said with a grin. "And because this is the first time the two of you have been here for an extraction, the leader thinks you'll get in the way." He explained.

"He what?" I asked, becoming annoyed.

"I don't think you will, but leaders orders." Kisame shrugged.

"Alright, so what are we supposed to do until the mission's over with?" Kiku asked, also annoyed by the leader.

"Itachi and I are supposed to take you guys somewhere until it's done." Kisame answered.

"Where?" Kiku asked.

"He didn't say. But we should probably get moving." Kisame said as he started walking.

"Alright fine, one second." Kiku said as she got off the rock and went back inside the Akatsuki to get something. She came back outside a few minutes later with her emergency medical kit.

"Why are you taking that?" I asked her.

"You never know what could happen." She shrugged. Kisame was walking ahead of all of us. I walked next to Itachi. I didn't like it whenever there were other people around when Itachi and I were together. Because we were keeping our relationship a secret, Itachi would act cold and emotionless around other people; I never liked that. Kikuhana was walking next to Kisame in conversation with him. I wasn't sure what they were talking about, I wasn't paying much attention. I was wishing that Itachi and I could spend sometime together without being on a mission. I ended up crashing face first into a tree. I held onto my nose and blushed from embarrassment. Itachi began to crouch down to help me up but he stopped himself. He stood back up and slightly extended his hand out to me. I grabbed his hand and he pulled me back to my feet. I quickly gave him a thank you smile before letting go of his hand.

"Are you ok, Sissy?" Kiku asked me, looking over her shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm ok." I smiled awkwardly.

"Hey, what's that?" Kisame asked and he picked up a white folded piece of paper. "I think this fell out of your pocket." He added, while examining the paper. It took me a few moments to realize what the paper was. I gasped and my heart jumped when it hit me.

"Give that back!" I yelled as I snatched the paper out of Kisame's hand.

"What was that?" Kisame asked.

"Nothing," I said with a blush as I shoved the paper back into my pocket. The paper was actually a love letter that I wrote to Itachi before I told him about my feelings. I tried to ignore the fact that Kisame had almost discovered my feelings for Itachi, and proceed with the walk.

* * *

About an hour later we found ourselves in a canyon.

"Alright, we can stop here." Kisame said, sitting down on a large pillar.

"So what do we do now?" Kiku asked.

"Wait until we're called." Itachi spoke in an emotionless tone.

"Mmmhmm," Kiku nodded her head and grabbed me by the back of my shirt and dragged me off.

"Uh, bye?" I said to Itachi and Kisame as I was being dragged away by my sister.

"What did you do that for?" I asked my sister as soon as we were out of their sight.

"Silent! It's too silent! You know I can't stand it if it's too quiet." Kiku said.

"Ok, fine." I sighed. "What did you want to talk about then?" I asked her.

"I don't know, stuff." She said, shrugging. We spent a little while by ourselves talking about what we were talking about before we were interrupted. After a while we went back to Itachi and Kisame. I sat close to where Itachi was, but not directly beside him. Itachi slid his hand over to mine and handed me a piece of paper.

"You dropped this when your sister dragged you away." Itachi told me in a hushed tone. I took the paper from him. "Sorry, my curiosity got the best of me." Itachi said to me with a little smile. I unfolded the paper and saw that it was the note that I wrote to him. I blushed when I realized that he read it. I looked back down at the paper and read it to myself in my head.

Itachi,

This is very hard for me to do. You're probably wondering where all of this is coming from. I really didn't know how to say or do any of this without embarrassing myself… So I figured that writing a note would be the best. Please don't think poorly of me for talking to you this way. I know that we have barley spoken to each other, but, I have very strong feelings for you…

This was one of the many notes I wrote to Itachi without sending it to him. I wasn't sure why, but I kept this one with me. It was unfinished, so it never made since to me. Maybe I really did want him to read it, but I was just to shy to give him the note.

Nightfall came quickly. Sasori and Deidara would most likely have captured Gaara by now, and they would start the extraction by tomorrow. There were some very big days ahead of us.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

We had spent most of the morning sitting in silence and waiting. Sasori and Deidara had to be close to the Akatsuki by now. Sasori hated to keep people waiting, or to wait, so it shouldn't be too long. It was now noon.

"It's time." Itachi spoke. He and Kisame sat down and did and hand sign.

"Well, what are we supposed to do until you guys are done?" Kikuhana asked.

"You can come if you want." Kisame said grinning. Kikuhana looked over at me.

"Ok," she said. We sat down and did the same hand sign. Everyone, except for Sasori and Deidara, appeared has holograms on top of a strange statue. Everyone stood on top of a fingertip of the statue. My sister and I stood on its shoulder. Pein, the leader, did a hand sign and the mouth of the statue opened.

"It will now take three days and nights, stay aware of your physical selves." Pein spoke.

My sister and I exchanged shocked looks.

"Three days and nights?" I whispered to her in surprise.

"Zetsu, have your physical body stand guard outside. Use the one with the greatest range." Pein ordered.

"Understood," Zetsu said.

"Three days? Don't you think it's possible it might take longer than that since we don't have Orochimaru with us?" Kisame asked.

"All the more reason to get started at once." Pein replied.

"That's true," Itachi added. I was a little surprised; Itachi normally didn't say anything during meetings. Just then, the tips of the statue's fingers glowed green, and the symbol on the member's ring appeared in the green spot on each finger tip.

"Sealing Jutsu: Nine Phantom Dragons!" Pein shouted as nine dragons made of chakra came out of the statues mouth and went down to Gaara's unconscious body. The chakra dragons went around Gaara, causing him to float up into mid air. Gaara, it's been over three years since my sister and I have last seen him. I always knew we'd see him again, just not like this.

One day had passed by. Everyone remained silent. The members were focusing on the extraction, while Kikuhana and I just watched. I felt horrendously bad for Gaara. He looked like he was in pain. Of course I wanted to help him, but the day Kiku and I left the Leaf Village was the day Gaara, and everyone else we used to know became our enemies. We had two choices: The Leaf Village, or the Akatsuki. We made that choice three years ago, and that was the Akatsuki.

"Our location has been discovered. The enemy approaches." Zetsu announced.

"Which enemy is that?" Deidara asked, looking at Zetsu.

"The very skilled and dangerous one." Zetsu replied. "His name is Might Guy." He added. Kikuhana and I gasped silently as our eyes grew large.

"Guy-sensei…." I whispered. He wasn't our sensei, but we still knew him.

"Might Guy? Who is he?" Pein asked.

"An elite Leaf shinobi. A master of taijutsu; don't underestimate him." Itachi responded.

"Ah, that strange beast again." Kisame said with amusement in his voice.

"We'll use that jutsu against him." Pein said.

"I'll go. Let me take care of him. It will give me a chance to make up for failing to find the tailed-beast host." Hidan said.

"No, leave him to me. You see I know him. I have a personal score to settle with him." Kisame said.

"Yes, as you have the most chakra out of all the Akatsuki. You're probably the most suitable to employ that jutsu." Pein agreed. "Very well Kisame. But I'll still require 30% of your chakra here." He added.

"Kisame? Kisame's going after Guy?" I exclaimed in a hushed voice to my sister.

"You don't think, the rest of his team is with him, do you?" Kiku whispered back to me.

"I… I don't know." I whispered, looking down.

"Kikuhana, Hatone, what are you two muttering about?" Pein questioned in a stern voice. Kiku and I both snapped our heads up.

"Nothing…it's just, the ninja, Guy, we know him. Well, we used to..." Kiku answered.

"Very well then; Kikuhana, since you claim to know him, you will assist Kisame in battle." Pein instructed.

"What?" I yelled.

"I will hear no objections." Pein said.

"Fine…" Kikuhana muttered and sent a small glare at the leader.

"Kiku…" I stared at her with great worry in my eyes.

"I'll be fine sis, don't worry about it." She assured me.

"Let's go, Kikuhana." Kisame said.

"Right." The eyes on Kikuhana's and Kisame's holograms shut.

"Finally; I've been waiting to pay him back for that kick he gave me." Kisame said with a grin.

Kikuhana and Kisame were out further in the canyon.

"Hey, Kisame?" Kiku called.

"What is it?" He asked.

"You wouldn't mind if I sit out on the fight, would you?" She asked, glancing up at him.

"No, not at all." Kisame answered with a smirk.

"I'll at least give you some advice." Kiku began. "Guy-sensei is a master of taijutsu, and Lee is training to be exactly like him. Neji is a part of the Hyuga clan. His Kekki Genkai allows him to drain his opponents' chakra, so watch out for that. And the girl, Ten-Ten, mainly uses weapons." She explained.

"Got it," Kisame replied. Just then, they spotted four people running through the canyon.

"Looks like your friends are here." Kisame said with a smirk. Kisame jumped down into the canyon behind the group. He went under the ground and stuck his sword out of the ground, like a shark's fin in the ocean. He destroyed a large boulder in front of Guy's team, causing dust and rocks to fly everywhere. When the dust cleared, Kisame stood on the shattered boulder with his sword slung over his shoulder. Guy, Lee, Neji and Ten-Ten stared at him in battle stance.

"Wait a minuet," Guy started to speak.

"You know this person Guy-sensei?" Lee asked with his eyes still fixed on Kisame.

"Who are you?" Guy asked. Kisame had an offended look on his face.

"More intruders." Zetsu spoke.

"You didn't cover your tracks very well, did you Deidara?" Pein asked, glancing over at Deidara.

"Well—as I said. The tailed-beast host proved to be more powerful than we thought, hmm." Deidara said hesitantly.

"You're a bumbler and a fool." Sasori growled at Deidara. "Your methods are too crude for any sort of secret operation." He added.

"Crude?" Deidara laughed humorlessly. "Those clumsy traps of yours were hardly settle my friend, hmm!" Deidara argued.

"Why you—!"

"Stop bickering amongst yourselves." Pein ordered. "Focus on the jutsu." He commanded. "Now then, who to send this time?" Pein asked out loud.

"Me, this time it must be me." Hidan said with eagerness in his voice.

"This time a Leaf shinobi should go." Zetsu suggested. Itachi and I snapped our heads over to Zetsu.

"Very well, it's decided then." Pein said. "Itachi will go and Hatone will go with him."

My eyes went wide.  
"Why do I have to go?" I asked nervously.

"These are Leaf ninja also, aren't they? You most likely know them, so you will go." Pein answered. I kept my head low and didn't answer. Why were we getting sucked into this? Itachi sent a glare at the leader.

"Let's go," Itachi said before his eyes on his hologram shut. I did the same.

Itachi and I were just outside of a forest in an open field.

"I'm sorry you had to get dragged into this." Itachi said to me while keeping his eyes on the forest. I looked up at him and then to the floor.

"It's not your fault." I said quietly. Itachi turned around to face me and locked his eyes on me. I looked up at him and blushed a little.

"I don't want you to get hurt." He said placing a hand on my cheek. "It would be best if you go hide in the forest until the battle is over with." He told me, staring into my eyes. I really didn't want to fight, especially if whoever was coming were people I used to know.

"But, I can't let you fight everyone by yourself." I said.

"I'll be fine." Itachi assured me with a little smile. The smiled faded in an instant. "They're here." He said looking at the forest. "Go," Itachi said to me as the activated his Sharingan.

"Please be careful." I said quietly as I ran to the east side of the forest and hid behind a tree far enough so I wouldn't be spotted but close enough so that I could still see and hear what was going on. Kakashi, Naruto, Sakura and an old woman came running out of the forest.

"Everybody stop!" Kakashi yelled as he stuck his arms out so no one could pass him. I gasped silently and I felt my heart jump. I couldn't believe it. It had been three years since I last saw Kakashi-sensei, Naruto or Sakura.

"Who's that?" Sakura asked while keeping her eyes on Itachi.

"So soon…" Kakashi whispered to himself.

"Those eyes…could it be?" The old woman wondered to herself.

"I know you!" Naruto growled.

* * *

Guy's team was still staring down Kisame.

"Unreal…" Neji said out loud. "His chakra level is off the charts!" He said with a stunned look. "I've never seen anyone but Naruto with that much chakra." Neji added.

"That much..?" Lee said in surprise.

"You're memory is as bad as your haircut." Kisame mocked Guy. Guy's eyes grew large as he remembered something.

"Could it be that you're…" He said starting to remember.

"You finally remembered, have you?" Kisame said smirking.

"You've met me somewhere before?" Guy asked.

"It's no wonder you're called a beast, your intelligence is certainly subhuman." Kisame said as he started leaning forward. "Well, don't worry, I'll refresh your memory soon enough."

A breeze blew across the field as Kakashi and his team continued to stare down Itachi.

"Itachi Uchiha…" Naruto said out loud. Sakura's eyes grew wide.

_T-that's, that's him_. Sakura said mentally. _That's Itachi Uchiha._


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

Kakashi's team continued to stare Itachi down from across the field.

"So, that's the one." The old woman said, taking a step forward. "The child who wiped out his entire clan," she added.

"Kakashi, Naruto, it's been a while." Itachi spoke.

_His Sharingan, it's the same as Sasuke's. So this is the guy who's been hounding Naruto all this time._ Sakura said mentally.

"I wasn't enough for you, huh? You had to go after Gaara as well!" Naruto growled. "I'll destroy every last one of you!" He shouted. I gripped onto the tree I was hiding behind. Itachi began to move his arm; this alarmed Kakashi.

"Everyone, whatever you do, don't look him in the eyes." Kakashi warned.

* * *

"So he's an Akatsuki." Neji said aloud. Kisame threw his sword high up in the air and clapped his hands together.

"Water Style: Exploding Water Jet Wave!" Kisame shouted as he threw his head back. Just then, thousands of gallons of water came shooting out of Kisame's mouth, flooding the entire area. Guy's team stood on a flat rock above the water. Kisame stood up on a wave as he picked his sword back up and slung it over his shoulder. "Ready or not, here I come!" Kisame said as he came down on the wave.

* * *

"Itachi's genjutsu is a visual jutsu. Which means, avoid eye contact with him and his jutsu can't take effect." Kakashi explained to his team.

"Yeah, that I know," Naruto said glancing at Kakashi.

"Ok, but then, how are we supposed to fight him?" Sakura asked.

"That's the tricky part…" Kakashi muttered. "You'll have to anticipate his moves by watching his feet and his body." Kakashi said.

"But that's like fighting with one arm tied behind your back." Sakura mumbled.

"It's been a long time since I've gone up against the Sharingan." The old lady, whose name was Chiyo, said. Naruto stared at her, a bit surprised.

"Oh don't look so surprised, I've been around a while." She said to him. "And I know there's more than one way to fight a visual jutsu like that."

"Yeah? Like what then?" Naruto asked.

"If one against one, abandon the field. If two against one, take the rear and he'll yield." Chiyo said in a riddle. Naruto stared at her for a moment.

"Uh, what's that mean?" He asked.

"Well the first part is pretty self explanatory, isn't it?" Chiyo asked as a rhetorical question. "The Sharingan can never be beaten in single combat. But, if you out number the Sharingan user, if the battle is two against one, then even if one of you is caught in his genjutsu, the other is free to strike from behind, breaking the genjutsu's spell. If the attack from behind should fail, you're free to strike your comrade yourself, breaking the genjutsu that way. So while one of us attacks him face to face, the rest of us can launch a series of attacks from behind where his genjutsu can't reach." Chiyo explained.

"I guess you learn stuff like that if you live long enough." Naruto commented.

"Let's go. I'll go from behind—" Naruto was cut off by Kakashi, who told him to wait.

* * *

Kisame controlled the water to create giant waves to crash down on Guy's team. Every time a wave would come crashing down, all four of them would jump in the air, avoiding the waves.

"How about it? Like it so far?" Kisame asked with a smirk.

"Where in the world is all this water coming from?" Ten-Ten asked as she landed on a rock.

"This technique of his requires a huge amount of chakra; an incredible amount!" Neji said in amazement.

* * *

"Ok Sensei, we're waiting, but what are we waiting for?" Naruto asked Kakashi.

"Do you have a problem with my way of fighting the Sharingan? Do you not think my methods will work?" Chiyo asked.

"No, they work fine against ordinary jutsu. But what we're dealing with here is something much more complicated." Kakashi replied.

"Meaning what?" Chiyo asked, becoming a little annoyed.

"He uses Mangekyo Sharingan. It's far more powerful than any other jutsu." Kakashi said.

"It only takes a second. But if he gets you with that genjutsu, it'll be the longest second of your life. Time itself is warped. What seems like only a second in the real world can be hours or even days in his jutsu. I know, I wandered around in it for three days. I lost consciousness for more than a week. " Kakashi explained. "It's not a genjutsu that can be broken just like that." He added.

"That does sound tricky," Chiyo said after a pause. "What a troublesome fellow this is." She said.

"Very good Kakashi; I see your sojourn in my Tsukuyomi wasn't wasted." Itachi commented.

"Oh believe me I learned something else as well." Kakashi said back. "There's a price to pay for using that Sharingan. It exhausted you, didn't it? You had to leave before the battle was over. So in addition to using up a lot of chakra, you risk permanent damage to your eyes every time you use that jutsu, don't you Itachi?" Kakashi asked.

"You've seemed to learn a great deal, from our one brief encounter." Itachi noticed.

"I wonder…" Kakashi said placing a hand on the part of his head band that covered his eye. "Just how much damage has already been done to your eyesight?" Kakashi asked as he lifted his head band up, revealing his Sharingan eye. Both Itachi's and my eyes widened.

"How…how does he know so much about Itachi from the one time they fought?" I whispered to myself. Itachi then closed his eyes. He reopened them to send a glare at Kakashi, while Kakashi glared back.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

Guy, Neji, Lee and TenTen all stood on the dry rocks above water level. Lee's eyes scanned the water.

"Where do you think he is?" Lee asked his teammates. A huge title wave came shooting up, causing the group to jump up in the air. Kisame concentrated chakra to his feet to stand on top of the wave. He pulled his sword out and came charging towards Guy. He swung, but Guy moved out of the way, and kicked Kisame at the same time, only to find out it was a water clone.

* * *

The other members were still busy extracting the one-tail beast from Gaara.

"It appears Itachi has made contact with the enemy." Pein observed. "And I see that Kisame is engaged in combat." He added.

* * *

Kisame tried swinging his sword at Guy again, but this time Lee jumped in and kicked his sword out of his hands. Kisame jumped back.

"8 Trigrams: Air Palm!" Neji shouted as he blasted a powerful gust of wind at Kisame, causing him to fly backwards. Kisame got his footing back and grabbed his sword. At the same time, TenTen threw a spiked ball and chain at him with a paper bomb attached to it. It exploded; causing a big could of smoke. Kikuhana's eyes widened. When the smoke cleared, Kisame wasn't there. Kikuhana let out a sigh of relief.

"Darn it, he got away." TenTen muttered to herself. The team kept their guard up waiting for Kisame to appear at any moment.

"Neji, any sign of him?" TenTen asked.

"In front of us… and coming closer." Neji replied.

"I'll grant you brats this much, you're more trouble then I thought you'd be. In fact, you're incredibly annoying." Kisame said as he slowly rose back on top of the water.

"That water jutsu and that large sword…I'm certain we've met somewhere before." Guy said.

"Don't tell me your memory is coming back now." Kisame said in a bit of an annoyed tone.

"I'm pretty sure this guy would be pretty memorable…." TenTen said with a sigh.

"Listen to that, even your own followers are starting to doubt your memory. Well, let's see what we can do." Kisame smirked as he slung his sword over his shoulder. "Enough pain and maybe then you'll remember."

* * *

"I underestimated you back then, I'll admit it." Kakashi said to Itachi. "But I'm not the fool I used to be. Things aren't gonna be the same this time, I promise you that." He added. I had a horrible sick feeling in my stomach.

"Yeah and don't go thinking I'm the same kid either! A lot of things have changed since then." Naruto said. I wasn't sure if I should be concerned about Naruto. He was strong back when I knew him, but that was three years ago.

"No Naruto, leave him to me." Kakashi ordered. Naruto stared at his sensei confused.

"Not again. Not the same kind of 'team work' where we sit back and do nothing!" Naruto yelled.

"No, this time you cover me." Kakashi said. "I wish I could say 'go on ahead, I can handle this on my own,' but I'd never make the same mistake twice."

* * *

"Alright, time to launch a counter attack." Guy announced to his team. "Let me go in against him first, as soon as his guard is down you move in." Guy ordered.

"Are you foolish enough to think you can get me to lower my guard that easily? I won't try to talk you out of it; I'll let you find out the hard way." Kisame said in amusement. Guy charged at Kisame, and swung a kick, but that missed. Neji tried punching him, but Kisame blocked it with his sword. Lee tried attacking from above, but, Kisame knocked him out of the way.

"He has a point. He swings that huge sword with such ease that getting through his guard is nearly impossible." Lee stated. TenTen threw multiple kunai with paper bombs attached to them at Kisame. Kisame used his sword as a shield and all the kunai blew up.

"How did you like that!" TenTen said in an almost cocky tone.

"I missed it. Did you do something?" Kisame mocked with a laugh.

"That sword's getting on my nerves." TenTen growled.

* * *

"It's time you came with me, Naruto." Itachi said pointing at Naruto.

"Oh no…." I whispered.

"Me first," Kakashi said as he ran straight at Itachi. Kakashi threw a punch, but Itachi caught it. The Itachi which Kakashi was fighting was only a shadow clone. Itachi ran right pass him and ran towards Naruto. Naruto charged with the Rasengan and hit Itachi right in the chest. However, it too was a shadow clone. _Another shadow clone…_ Naruto thought to himself. Naruto checked his surroundings and saw that Kakashi, Sakura and Chiyo were all lying on the floor. Sakura started to move, but as she stood up, she slowly transformed into Itachi. When Naruto looked to Kakashi and Chiyo, the same thing happened.

* * *

Guy managed to drag Kisame's sword away from him.

"Attack!" Guy shouted. Lee, Neji and TenTen came charging towards Kisame. Kisame growled and did a hand sign.

"Water Clone Jutsu!" Three pillars of water came rising up and morphed into clones of Kisame. The clones caught the attacks. "Water Prison Jutsu!" Kisame shouted. The clones formed giant balls of water around Lee, Neji and TenTen. Guy lifted Kisame's sword to attack him with, but when he did, spikes protruded from the handle, slicing up Guy's palms.

* * *

Naruto stood there, surrounded by three shadow clones of Itachi.

"What's going on here? What is this?" Naruto questioned.

"Oh Naruto, you had to get yourself caught in Itachi's genjutsu…now you're trapped in an illusion." I whispered to myself, watching the battle with distress.


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

A small ninja dog, Pakkun, stood behind a pillar. He looked and saw that Neji, TenTen and Lee were all caught in Kisame's water prison jutsu.

"This is really bad." Pakkun muttered to himself.

"I got to admit, these kids are better than I thought." Kisame said as he turned back around to face Guy. Kisame's three water clones still held Neji, Lee and TenTen trapped inside the water prison jutsu. "Now we can fight without any interference." Kisame said with a smirk. Guy was growing more frustrated. He had to try to get pass Kisame and destroy the water clones before his students ran out of air.

"I'd like to help…but if I were to act now I'd only get in the way. Hang in there team." Pakkun said as he dug his claws into the dirt. Kikuhana started to become concerned for Neji, Lee and TenTen's health.

_I know they're no longer my allies…but I don't want them to die…"_ Kikuhana though to herself. A thought crossed her mind_. No, no I can't do that. I can't help them. I haven't seen them in three years… For all they know, they could think I'm dead._ Kiku bit her lower lip. Kisame's sword came back to him.

"This is the mighty blade known as Shark Skin. And it only allows me to wield it." Kisame said as he took his sword in his hands.

"I guess so. I should've known not to mess with an unfamiliar weapon. I'll just stick to my own then." Guy said as he pulled out a pair of num-chucks.

"Well, this _is_ going to be interesting." Kisame grinned with amusement.

* * *

Naruto kept his eyes on all three figures. He knew it was obvious that two were shadow clones and one was the real Itachi, but he didn't know which one it was. Naruto carefully reached into his weapons pouch. He then threw three kunai, hitting each of the figures in the chest. They stumbled back, but never hit the ground. In fact, they were hovering above ground. As Naruto looked at Itachi's first shadow clone, he saw it started forming into a flock of crows. The other two clones did the same. Naruto then realized that they were all shadow clones. The crows flew in the sky, circling above and around Naruto. Naruto looked up, his blue eyes were wide. Some of the crows, while still in the air, flocked together and started morphing into Itachi.

"But I never looked him in the eye." Naruto muttered, finally realizing that he was caught in a genjutsu. "How did I get drawn in?" Naruto growled.

"These eyes aren't the only way I can wield genjutsu. All I need is a single finger." Itachi explained. Naruto realized that he must have been first caught in the genjutsu when Itachi pointed at him. "You don't need to worry; I won't use the Mangekyo Sharingan. Or I suppose I should say, to be more precise, I can't use it right now." Itachi said to Naruto.

"What exactly is that supposed to mean?" Naruto questioned.

"That's hardly your concern." Itachi said as he did a hand sign. "More importantly, it's time I put you to sleep." He added.

_Darn it! I was so careful not to get caught in his genjutsu!_ Naruto thought. Naruto clapped his hands together and started concentrating what seemed like a large amount of chakra.

* * *

Guy leaped at Kisame and tried swinging his weapon at him; however Kisame used his sword to block it. Guy swung a powerful kick and Kisame ducked. Guy sent several more attacks, but Kisame kept avoiding them. Kisame formed a water clone behind Guy; but Guy destroyed it with one hit. The two kept blocking, and sending attacks to one another and it seemed like they were getting no where. Kisame threw his sword high in the air and performed several hand signs.

"Water Style: Water Shark Bomb Jutsu!" Kisame shouted and he slapped the surface of the water. A shark made of chakra came rising up and headed straight for Guy. Guy punched the shark as it came down and it exploded into water. Kisame saw this as an opportunity to attack. He grabbed his sword and swung it down at Guy. Guy used all his strength to keep the sword, which was only inches away from his face, away.

"Hold on! I remember you!" Guy shouted as he held the sword back.

"So you've finally remembered, huh? Well too little too late!" Kisame said as he punched Guy in the gut. Guy shot far down under water to the bottom of the lake. "I'm not done settling the score yet, not by a long shot." Kisame said as he prepared to do another jutsu. "Water Style: Five Hungry Sharks!" The chakra sharks Kisame summoned were much like the one he summoned before, only this time there were five of them. And to make matters worse, Guy was at the bottom of the lake and the sharks were coming after him.

Guy managed to doge the first two sharks. The third shark came and wrapped its powerful jaws around him, but Guy was able to hold its mouth open, preventing it from biting him. He punched the shark's upper jaw, causing it to release him. The fourth shark came and whacked him hard, causing blood to shed. The fifth shark chased Guy down to the bottom of the lake, and the other four followed. Guy kept attacking the sharks, which he should have defeated by now. However, because the sharks were made of chakra, they kept regenerating. A small breeze came by. Pakkun sniffed the air and caught another person's scent.

"There's someone else here." He said to himself as he started following the scent. "It smells, strangely familiar. Whoever it is, they're close."

Kikuhana was watching the battle intensely; unaware if Guy was alive or not. She started to feel two eyes staring at her. She looked down to her side and saw a little ninja pug. Her eyes widened when she realized who the pug was.

"So you're the other person." Pakkun said in his rough voice as he sat. Kikuhana remained frozen. "You smell familiar, have we met somewhere before?" Pakkun asked her while taking another sniff of her scent.

"N-no, I've never seen you in my life." Kiku lied. Pakkun was unsure if she was telling the truth. He sat there staring at her for a few more seconds until his eyes shot open.

"**Kikuhana!**" He shouted in surprise.

"Shhhh!" She hissed, putting her finger in front of his muzzle. Kikuhana and Pakkun's attention switched back to the battle field when the water in the lake began to rumble. Water began to shoot up high into the air. Kikuhana stared in shocked confusion, unsure of what was going on, while Pakkun knew exactly what was happening. _You can't be serious Guy! You're really resorting to that? _Pakkun said in his head. Neji was able to find a weak point in Kisame's water clone. He attacked it, and the water ball around him dropped. Neji attacked the other two water clones, freeing his comrades. Both Kisame and Guy leaped high into the air.

"What's going on!" Kikuhana yelled as she clutched onto the pillar.


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

Naruto was stilled trapped in Itachi's genjutsu, and he was trying to find a way out. Naruto began concentrating large amounts of chakra.

"Without a doubt, he's matured." Itachi said to himself. "However, he's still not strong enough." He added. The crows that were circling Naruto morphed into shuriken and all at once came showering down on Naruto. The blades made cuts all over him.

"This hurts….but it's still just a genjutsu…" Naruto reminded himself as he tried to withstand the pain. Suddenly, the skin of Naruto's left cheek began flaking off.

_Naruto, _a familiar voice came echoing in his head. Naruto's eyes widened at the voice. _Naruto,_ the voice repeated.

"I-is that… Sasuke…!" Naruto realized.

_It's been far too long Naruto,_ Sasuke's voice said. Naruto's entire left side of his face was gone and it was Sasuke's face from the last time they saw each other. Naruto let out a shriek. Sasuke was starting to take over Naruto's body. He raised his left arm and wrapped it around Naruto's neck, making Naruto choke himself. Naruto tried to use his other arm to pulled his hand away from his throat, but couldn't.

_I_ _should've finished you off the last time we faced each other. _Sasuke scoffed. Something inside Naruto's jacket started to move around. His jacket unzipped and Sakura's head came out and was glaring at Naruto.

"Why? Why, Naruto? When Sasuke left why didn't you bring him back to me! I was wrong to believe in you…" She scowled, still glaring. Naruto had a look of horror on his face. Naruto looked to his right shoulder and saw the upper half of Kakashi's face.

"You couldn't even protect your closest friends. I expected more from you, but you're a failure!" Kakashi said to Naruto, disappointment in his voice.

"As always," Another voice came into Naruto's mind. "No matter what, you come out ahead." Naruto looked at the palm of his hand and saw Gaara's eye. "Only you achieve happiness." Gaara's voice rang in Naruto's head. Naruto's eyes started to fill with tears.

"It's just a genjutsu…I know that's all it is…but still..." Naruto repeated with tears running down his face.

"You liar, why did I believe in you?" Sakura yelled.

"You're such a disappointment, Naruto." Kakashi insulted.

"You always get everything…" Gaara said with jealousy.

"I'll end you!" Sasuke shouted as he made Naruto tighten the grip around his throat. Naruto coughed blood as he tried pulling the hand away again.

"This isn't happening!" Naruto told himself. "S-somebody give me chakra..! Kakashi-sensei…Sakura…" Naruto pleaded, starting to loose his breath. Naruto was snapped back into reality when two hands touched his shoulders. Naruto looked to his sides and saw Sakura and Chiyo. It was those two who snapped him out of the genjutsu. I couldn't help but feel sorrow for Naruto. He was emotional, and Itachi knew that. Itachi used Naruto's emotions against him, which is why ninja are supposed to have a strong control over their emotions. But, Naruto had trouble with that just like I did and still do. Kakashi came jumping out from underneath the ground.

"Naruto! Are you alright?" Kakashi asked.

"W-what happened to me?" Naruto asked, still unsure of what was going on around him.

"You got caught in a genjutsu. But you're gonna be fine. We all funneled our chakra into you and it broke the hold." Sakura explained. Naruto looked at Itachi.

"I don't get it…where did all his shadow clones go?" Naruto asked in confusion.

"What do you mean his shadow clones? Why, he's used nothing of the sort this whole time." Chiyo said.

"Yeah, you all of a sudden freaked out and started shooting off your Rasengan." Sakura said. "Don't you remember any of that?" She asked. Naruto remembered to when he thought he hit one of the shadow clones.

"So I was already caught in the genjutsu at that time?" Naruto wondered to himself.

"I think it's about time for the main event, get it together Naruto." Kakashi said.

"Hey, snap out of it, will you?" Sakura said to Naruto as she lightly patted his face. Kakashi charged at Itachi. My eyes went large. The real fight just started. Itachi did multiple hand signs so fast it looked like a blur.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu." Itachi said and breathed multiple balls of fire at Kakashi. Kakashi quickly dodged the fire balls and leaped in the air.

"He's not done yet!" Kakashi warned to his teammates. Just as he said that, Itachi blew a giant ball of fire directly at Naruto, Sakura and Chiyo. The three of them just barley got out of the way. Itachi stood in that spot, waiting for the smoke to clear. He then heard sounds of electricity. Kakashi created a ball of electricity in his hand, which was Chidori. He charged at Itachi, dragging the Chidori close to the ground which was tearing up the dirt. Kakashi got extremely close to Itachi and was about to hit him with the Chidori, making me lean forward and I felt my heart stop. Itachi moved out of the way at the last moment. I fell back and let out a deep sigh as my heart began beating again. But that wasn't the end of it. Just as Itachi avoided Kakashi's attack, Naruto came down from the sky with his Rasengan, aiming for Itachi. It all happened so fast all I saw was them both hit the gound, causing dirt and rocks to fly everywhere.

"Itachi!" I yelled in concern, but not loud enough for any of the others to hear me.

"Naruto!" I heard Sakura yell from across the battlefield. There was a giant hole in the ground, and then the dust cleared Itachi was standing without a single scratch on him. I placed my hand over my heart, relieved, but not sure of how much more of this I could take. When I looked back up I saw Naruto crouching behind the tree in front of me. His back was turned to me and he was focused on the battlefield. My eyes were large and I felt my throat tighten up. If I leaned forward a little bit and stretched my arm out, I would literally be able to touch him.

"Man…I didn't think he'd survive it that easily. I could've sworn we were gonna get the drop on him with Kakashi-sensei's Lightning Blade as a diversion. That Sharingan is a real problem. He can instantly foresee what I'm gonna do" Naruto thought. "There's no way I'll be able to do this without a combo attack with Kakashi-sensei. And on top of that I'll need a powerful jutsu. Looks like I'll try out my new trick." Naruto planned in his head. It appeared that Naruto hadn't noticed me yet, but if I made the slightest movement or sound I could give myself away. Just then, a thick layer of fog came. Sakura, who was in the other side of the battlefield in the forest with Chiyo, looked around wondering where the fog came from.

"Don't worry my dear, this is Kakashi's jutsu." Chiyo told her. The fog was so thick that I could barley see Naruto in front of me, let alone Itachi or Kakashi on the battlefield.

"The Hidden Mist Jutsu. Quite an effective technique to keep one from casting a genjutsu." Itachi observed. "Unless of course, one possesses the Sharingan." He added.

"Kakashi, can we please stop this childish game of hide-and-seek?" Itachi called out into the fog.

"Sure, why not." Kakashi said, stepping back out into the battleground. Kakashi threw three kunai at Itachi. Itachi turned his body to avoid them while making hand signs at the same time. Itachi used the Fire Ball Jutsu again. However, this time it appeared to have worked because the fog cleared all at once. There was a hole in the ground where Kakashi was standing. Kakashi jumped up from underground in front of Itachi, and swung and uppercut. Itachi tilted his head back and grabbed Kakashi's arm, dragged him down, and aimed for a punch, but Kakashi moved his head to the right. Itachi grabbed Kakashi by the back of the head and Kakashi did the same to Itachi. They were in each other's face and glaring into each other's Sharingan eyes. Kakashi had just gotten himself caught one of Itachi's genjutsus again.


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

Itachi and Kakashi were in each others face while glaring intensely at one another. Of course, because Itachi had his Sharingan activated, Kakashi was trapped in a genjutsu. In the genjutsu, everything was black and white. Kakashi was standing by himself. He lifted his arm and noticed that it was flimsy and thin, like he was made out of paper. Two flames lit at the bottom of his feet and started going up his legs. As the flames traveled up further, it left nothing behind. Kakashi's eyes widened, but there was nothing he could do. He looked back up to see Itachi staring at him from across the room. Back in the real world, Naruto was still crouching behind the tree in front of me. As far as I was concerned, he didn't know I was there.

_Did Kakashi-sensei get trapped in Itachi's genjutsu again?_ I wondered mentally. I saw Naruto smirk. _He's planning something…_

Back in the genjutsu Kakashi glared at Itachi as his paper body burned.

"Nicely done; you certainly have mastery of your jutsu." Itachi said to Kakashi. "Your Earth Style move hid you for a moment, so I didn't notice the change." Itachi said just as the paper Kakashi burned away. In reality Itachi and Kakashi still had each other by the back of the head. "It all makes since. Of course my genjutsu has no effect on you because you're a shadow clone." Itachi said in the same emotionless tone. The real Kakashi climbed out of a hole, several feet away from Itachi and the shadow clone.

* * *

Guy had opened all eight inner gates, which made his already incredibly fast speed, faster. Guy swung a kick at Kisame which sent him flying high into the air. Guy's students, Lee, Neji and TenTen watched the battle at a safe distance. While Kisame was still in the air, Guy threw multiple lighting-fast punches at him; followed by one final blow which sent Kisame shooting down into the river. The impact created a giant hole at the bottom which started draining the water. Guy landed on a rock and returned to his normal state while trying to catch his breath.

"Wow that pretty much wraps that one up." Pakkun, the ninja pug said out loud. Kikuhana's eyes were large and her mouth was open a bit.

"N-no way…! Did Guy-sensei really just beat Kisame…?" Kiku said in disbelief. Pakkun stared to walk down the rock pillars to join the others. He stopped for a moment and turned around to look at Kikuhana. Kikuhana drew her eyes away from the battle field and to the little ninja pug. One question was on both of their minds: Would Pakkun tell the others about Kikuhana? He groaned and bit and continued to walk down to the others. Once he was down there, he looked back up to where Kikuhana was but she was gone. Kiku was hiding behind another bundle of tall rock pillars. Kisame appeared beside her.

"Hey," he said. Kikuhana froze and her eyes went wide for a moment.

"What's the matter?" Kisame asked with a bit of a chuckle. She stared at him with a puzzled expression.

"What's that?" She asked while looking over the rock. Guy and his team were surrounding a body which had an Akatsuki cloak.

"Something to keep them busy while we get out of here." Kisame told her.

"Oh," she muttered. Kikuhana looked down in the canyon at her former allies before she and Kisame took off.

* * *

"Attack him and my shadow clone! Now Naruto!" Kakashi ordered.

"I'm on it!" Naruto yelled as he ran out from the forest with a giant Rasengan swirling in his palm and the palm of his shadow clone. Itachi looked at him from the corner of his eye but it was too late to move. Naruto slammed into Itachi with the giant Rasengan.

"Wha-what is that?" I yelled. Naruto was able to blast him yards away, and it left a huge trail of broken and damaged trees. Naruto's shadow clone disappeared as Naruto tried to regain his breath.

"No…" I stood up to my two feet with wide eyes. My heartbeat accelerated as I began to panic. I was about to run off in the direction Itachi was but I felt someone wrap their hand around my mouth and pull me backwards. I let out a muffled scream and flailed my feet in the air.

"Hatone, it's alright." Itachi told me as he pulled his hand away from my mouth. I let out a sigh to fully calm myself. I turned around and hugged him, and he put his arms around me.

"But if you're here then who's…." I turned my head over my shoulder.

"A distraction." Itachi said. "Now we have to go."

"Right," I said. Itachi took my hand and lead me back.


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31**

Itachi and I met back up with Kikuhana and Kisame in the same spot we were at before at nightfall. We all used the jutsu to make our holograms reappear back into the Akatsuki hideout where the extraction was still going on. I stood on the statue's shoulder with my sister as we watched the extraction. I started to feel myself doze off.

"Now, we're starting to enter the final stage." Pein announced. I snapped my head back up.

"What should we do about these annoying pests?" Kisame asked.

"They're getting closer and more quickly then we anticipated." Zetsu pointed out.

"Not a problem; we delayed them just enough. Ignore them" Pein said. "In any event, we have a backup plan." He added. I glanced over at my sister confused. She had the same expression on her face.

"I think he means that in the end it'll be up to you and me, Sasori, hmmm." Deidara said.

"Well then, I suggest we hurry up and finish our business here." Sasori replied. "We'll want a moment to catch our breath before greeting our 'guests'." He was still in his puppet Hiruko, so his voice was much deeper and rougher than normal. My eyes went big. I looked at Kikuhana and she looked just as surprised as I did. Sasori and Deidara were the only ones there in person, so they would have to fight them if they broke in.

"Oh yes indeed, we'll want to be sure to give them a warm welcome, hmm." Deidara smirked.

"Blasted nuisances, they're such a pain." Kisame said.

"Ugh, I never though we'd have so much trouble finding a tailed-beast host!" Hidan whined.

"Calm down!" Kakuzu stared at his partner. "We all just need to fulfill our own part."

"Enough talk! Now concentrate, all of you." Pein ordered. No one said anything after that.

* * *

It was morning. I ended up falling asleep later on in the night. Everyone had to concentrate, so Kiku and I took it as our chance to get some kind of rest. I woke up and looked around at everyone else's holograms. They were all still wide awake.

_How is it humanly possible that they all can stay awake for so long?_ I wondered to myself. The blue light that was glowing around Gaara that trailed to the statue's mouth faded and disappeared.

"It is complete." Pein proclaimed. Just then, Gaara's unconscious body dropped to the floor with a thud. I flinched at the noise. I dropped my head and my gaze was on the floor.

_I'm sorry…_ I whispered in my head. I looked over at Kikuhana once again and saw the same sorrow in her eyes. We both knew he was dead.

"Finally," Sasori broke the silence.

"So in the end it _did_ take three days, hmm." Deidara said.

"It seams to get more exhausting every time." Kisame noted.

"My shoulders are stiff." Hidan whined.

"Well done, good work everyone." Pein said as he looked around the room. Just then a large boom came from outside and echoed through the cave walls. I let out a gasp but quickly covered my mouth.

"Hmm, it's getting noisy out there." Pein muttered.

"But which group is it this time, hmmm?" Deidara asked out loud. "The one that Kisame was stalling? Or perhaps…" Deidara was cut off.

"Both, it's both groups." Zetsu told him. My eyes were wide with fear.

"So they both arrived at the same time, huh? What a pity, they're too late." Hidan said while glancing down at the body.

"And, one of them is a tailed-beast host." Sasori included.

_N-no, there's a barrier, it's almost impossible for intruders to get in. And even if they somehow manage to break in it'll take them a while to figure it out._ I told myself to help calm down. It was dead silent in the hide out before Hidan spoke.

"Well? Shouldn't we get this show on the road? We've got company outside to deal with. And there's still a small matter of the mission we have to complete." Hidan said with impatience.

"Yes, let's get going." Zetsu agreed.

"What about the intruders?" Kakuzu asked.

"I wouldn't loose too much sleep over them, we don't even know if they can get in here." Kisame reminded everyone.

"_Don't _underestimate them. You should know better, Kisame." Itachi said. Kisame broke out into a laugh.

"Well, they do have brute strength, I'll give them that." Kisame said back.

"Sasori, Deidara," Pein called. "Take care of the ninja outside." He commanded.

"I had a feeling you'd say that, hmm." Deidara said with a smirk.

"But I want the tail-beast host alive." He reminded them.

"Understood," Sasori answered back.

"Now, everyone else is dismissed." Pein said to everyone else in the room.

"Let's go!" Hidan whined in a child-like manner to Kakuzu.

"Alright," Kakuzu snapped back at his partner. Zetsu, Hidan, and Kakuzu's holograms all disappeared.

"Well, I suppose we'll be going too." Kisame said.

"Itachi," Sasori called. Everyone who was left turned their heads to look at Sasori. "This nine-tails host, what is he like?" He asked. Itachi remained silent.

"Go on, tell him." Pein said and his hologram disappeared.

"He's the one who bursts in and barks first." Itachi answered.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Sasori asked.

"Doesn't he have any specific characteristics other than barking, hmm?" Deidara asked with annoyance in his voice and expression. Itachi didn't answer and his hologram disappeared.

"Guess not…" Deidara muttered angrily.

"Well, that's it then." Kisame said and his hologram disappeared. Kikuhana and I were the last ones in the room with Sasori and Deidara. I didn't say anything to them, because I knew if I did then my voice would break. I looked at them both with a worried look before my hologram vanished, and so did Kikuhana's. Sasori and Deidara jumped off the statue and it vanished. They stood in the cave, waiting for the groups to break down the barrier and come in. They were ready to fight, but unaware of how much danger they were about to get into.


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32**

Deidara and Sasori were the only ones left in the cave with Gaara's body. They stood there and waited for the Leaf Village ninja to come in. Deidara sighed out of impatiens,

_What's taking them?_ He wondered to himself. _I wish they would just hurry up and get in here… _Deidara looked over to his partner who was silent and staring straight ahead.

"Sasori, what's the matter? I thought you didn't like to be kept waiting, hmmm." Deidara said with a bit of an amused tone.

"Yes, I hate it." Sasori growled. There suddenly was a very loud smash and the giant boulder blocking the entrance crumbled to pieces. Kakashi, Naruto, Sakura and the old lady Chiyo came dashing inside. They saw Gaara's body lying lifelessly on the floor which brought shock to each one of their faces. Although, Chiyo seemed to be shocked by something else rather than seeing Gaara. Naruto stood in that one spot completely absorbed in astonishment. Deidara was sitting on Gaara's chest, which was like rubbing salt in Naruto's wounds. Naruto began to shake with anger.

"Finally," Deidara said in a calm manner. "Now then, which one of you would be the tailed-beast host?" He asked. Naruto became more and more angry. His eyes switched from ocean blue to crimson red, and he grew sharp teeth. The nine-tailed fox was barley starting to come out of Naruto now. This happened every time Naruto became infuriated.

"You…!" Naruto clinched his fist tightly. "You MONSTERS! I'LL KILL THE BOTH OF YOU!" Naruto yelled which echoed through the cave.

"The one who bursts in and starts barking…that would be him then." Sasori said.

* * *

Itachi, Kisame, Kikuhana and I shut off our holograms.

"You ok with this? After all, capturing the nine-tails was your mission." Kisame said to Itachi. Both of them stood to their feet. "Hey, what's wrong?" Kisame asked after he saw the terrified expression on my face.

"Kiku, we have to go get them _**now**_!" I said to my sister in a panicked voice, with my voice shaking a bit.

"I know, and we can't waist any time." Kikuhana replied. I just barley started moving into a sprint until I felt someone grab my hand. I turned around to see Itachi.

"Where are you going?" He asked me.

"Back to the Akatsuki; they don't realize how much danger they're about to get into!" I said with my body still facing outward and ready to run.

"That's their mission and if they could capture the one-tail then they'll be able to handle the others on their own." Itachi said to me. I turned around so that I was facing Itachi.

"Gaara's dead," I chocked out. "And when Naruto sees that some of the nine-tailed fox will come out!" Tears started to fill my eyes. "I've seen him when he gets really mad like this and he _will _kill at least one of them!" I was about to break, I could feel it. I tried so hard to not lets tears fall, but I knew I would loose. "And because Deidara underestimates everyone he'll keep pushing it and pushing it until he's dead!" My voice cracked at the end and the tears finally fell down my face. I cried in front of Itachi once before and I hated to do it again. I've always had trouble controlling my emotions. I knew by Itachi's expression that it hurt him to see me the way that I was at that moment. He took my face in his hands and his dark eyes locked with my eyes.

"If you go and he sees you…he'll attack you also and I can't risk you being put in danger like that." Itachi told me.

"No! No, he doesn't know I'm with you! For all I know he could think I'm dead!" I yelled as I wept.

"You can't go," Itachi said in a calm voice.

"I'll stay hidden! I'll avoid a fight, I'll do whatever! I just can't let them get killed!" I shook my head violently but Itachi brought his face closer to mine and stroked my cheeks with his thumbs, wiping some of the tears away.

"Hatone, I can't let you get hurt... You're too important to me." Itachi told me with his voice fading into somewhat of a whisper. "I'll go," he added. My eyes went wide as I felt the lump in my throat come back.

"No! If he sees you he'll try to-" I grabbed onto his wrists. I couldn't finish the sentence.

"I have to go… Sasori and Deidara will die if I don't." I said in a quieter voice. I dropped my head and my gaze was at the floor.

"Hatone…please…" Itachi whispered.

"I promise I'll be safe." I said as lifted my tear-stained face back up. I placed my left hand on the side of his face. Our eyes met again. His onyx eyes were pleading for me not to go. We stared deeply into each others eyes for a bit longer.

"Fine," Itachi said as he leaned forward so that our foreheads touched. I felt the cool metal of the plate on his headband make contact with my skin.

"Just promise me that nothing bad will happen to you." Itachi said with his eyes fixed to the ground.

"I promise," I said as I placed my hand over his hand which was still cupping my face. His gaze went back to me.

"You have no idea just how much you mean to me." Itachi whispered as he leaned closer to gently but lovingly kiss me. The lump in my throat was tight and I felt heat in my cheeks. I began to feel calm, like I knew that it would all turnout ok. We slowly pulled apart and my arms returned to my side. I looked away from Itachi only to see Kikuhana and Kisame staring with wide eyes. I had completely forgotten that they were there, and I wouldn't doubt that Itachi did too. Embarrassment started to seep in and my blush spread to my ears. I looked off to the side waiting for the awkwardness of the moment and silence to end.

"Let's go," I murmured to my sister while not making eye contact with anyone. I jumped off the pillar and my sister did the same. I paused and looked back up at Itachi. I hated yelling at him; hated it. He cared about me and didn't want me to get it any sort of danger. I did feel guilty; however I still needed to help Sasori and Deidara. I turned around and started running along side Kikuhana back to the hideout.

"What was all _that_ about?" Kisame asked Itachi in confusion. Itachi glanced at him, and then looked to the direction where I ran off.

"It's exactly what it seems… I love her."


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33**

I ran through the forest, jumping from one tree branch to the next. My sister followed close behind me. Neither one of us had said anything since we left Itachi and Kisame after that somewhat awkward moment. Kikuhana cleared her throat a bit.

"You do realize you blew your cover… right?" Kiku asked, finally breaking the silence.

"I know," I responded rather quickly. "But Sasori and Deidara need our help, and I didn't know what else I was supposed to do." I added. I absolutely hated to have fought with Itachi like that and then bail, but I went with my first instinct and that was to find Sasori and Deidara and come to their aid. _Sasori…Deidara…please, don't do anything to put your lives at stake. _

* * *

The cave was silent. Deidara was still sitting on Gaara's lifeless body. Naruto snarled at the two Akatsuki members with his now crimson red eyes and sharp fangs.

"You… Just where the hell do you think you're SITTING!" Naruto demanded, his aggressive voice echoing throughout the cave.

"Well, so much for that mystery." Deidara said out loud. "The one who bursts in and barks first, he's the tailed-beast host alright, hmmm." Deidara observed. Sasori was paying very little attention to Deidara. He kept his eyes fixed on his grandmother, Chiyo.

"Gaara!" Naruto shouted. "What the heck are you doing? Come one, why are you just lying there! Get up!" Naruto continued to yell to his friend. Sakura looked at Naruto with worry in her eyes. "Gaara! Answer me! What are you deaf? Come on, nock it off already!" He started walking towards him.

"Enough Naruto!" Kakashi ordered, stopping Naruto in his tracks. "You know full well…" Kakashi said in a mournful voice. Naruto's hands were balled tightly into fists, refusing to believe what everyone knew.

"Your friend's right and you know it too. He's been dead for a while now, hmmm." Deidara said with a smug grin as he mockingly patted Gaara's face. Naruto only grew even more furious.

"Give him back… GIVE GAARA BACK YOU—" Naruto roared and charged at them out of frustration. Kakashi jumped in front of Naruto.

"Cool it; charge in without thinking, and we're done for." Kakashi told Naruto. Deidara looked over at his partner.

"What is it? Something on your mind Sasori, hmm?" Deidara asked.

"I'll hold onto him." Sasori said. "Since it appears that nine-tails will stop at nothing to get him back."

"Yeah, that's putting it lightly, hmm." Deidara said with a small chuckle.

"Ok, it looks like the guy on the left is the one who infiltrated the Sand Village and took Lord Kazekage." Kakashi said while looking at Deidara. "Which means this one is the puppet master who wounded Kankuro so badly." Kakashi said while looking at Sasori. He then glanced over at Chiyo. "Her grandson Sasori, huh?" He muttered to himself.

"Well Sasori," Deidara spoke aloud. "I doubt you'll wanna hear this but I'll say it anyway. I think I'll take care of the host." He smirked.

"Look," Sasori glared at Deidara. "Our quota is one a piece; don't push your luck Deidara." Sasori said with annoyance.

"An artist must always seek ever greater stimulation; less his senses go dull on him. Roomer has it the nine-tails host is pretty powerful. A canvas truly worthy of my artistry, hmm." Deidara said in a poetic form.

"What? Those pirate techniques of yours, art? Art is a work of beauty; captured, and kept for posterity. Art is eternal beauty." Sasori declared.

"Eternal beauty, are you kidding me?" Deidara mocked. "Look, don't get me wrong. As a fellow artist, I respect your point of view. "But true art is fleeting, a flash of beauty burning brightly, and then vanishing in a heartbeat, hmmm." Deidara stated.

"What did you say?" Sasori growled.

"I… I don't get it… what's with them?" Sakura wondered to herself.

"Apparently, Deidara, one of us doesn't understand what true art is." Sasori said with irritation dripping in his voice.  
"That would be you, my friend, hmmm." Deidara scoffed.

"You lousy rotten...!" Naruto snarled.

"Nonsense! Eternal beauty is what constitutes _real_ art!" Sasori argued.

"Don't be absurd true art only lasts a moment, hmmm." Deidara insisted.

"ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!" Naruto snapped. He pulled out a scroll from his weapons pouch and zipped it open. With a poof of smoke, Naruto summoned a large shuriken. He grabbed the center of it and launched it at Sasori's puppet Hiruko. While Sasori still had his glare fixed on Deidara, a long, steal scorpion-like tail extended out of the back of the puppet and deflected the large shuriken. This lead to everyone's amazement at how fast Sasori was able to deflect the shuriken without even looking; Deidara however, was unaffected.

"Are you _trying_ to make me angry?" Sasori asked Deidara, his temper quickly fading.

"Hey easy! I told you, you wouldn't wanna hear it. Give me a break, will ya?" Deidara said in a defensive manner.

"I don't have to remind you what happens when I get angry, do I?" Sasori asked rhetorically as a small drop of poison oozed from the end of Hiruko's tail. "Why don't you explain it to me again, Deidara." Sasori said as the tail curved forward.

"Art is one thing and one thing only," Deidara said as he stood to his feet. He watched as the mouth on his palm chewed a piece of clay. It spit the clay out into his palm. Deidara balled his hand into a fist for a brief moment. When he opened his hand a small sculpture of an unusual looking bird stood in the center of his palm. "The explosion itself! Hmm!" Deidara said as he tossed the clay bird into the air. He preformed a hand sign and the petite clay sculpture transformed into a much larger bird. The others looked up at the bird in wonder. The large bird cooed and landed by Deidara's side.

"My art isn't even in the same league as your grotesque puppet show, hmmm." Deidara insulted Sasori while the bird picked up Gaara's body in its mouth. Sasori snapped and shot the poison-coated tail directly at Deidara, but Deidara jumped out of the way and onto the back of the clay bird. The clay bird then started to flap its wings and started to fly to the exit. "See you around Sasori," Deidara smirked. Naruto grumbled and ran off after Deidara.

"Deidara you fool! I don't believe this!" Sasori muttered to himself. Deidara's childish act to do whatever he wanted stunned Sasori.

"Just where the heck do you think you're going!" Naruto yelled at Deidara as he ran outside of the Akatsuki cave.

"Perfect," Deidara sneered.

"Naruto!" Kakashi yelled as he ran for the exit and after Naruto. "As always he just can't help himself…" Kakashi murmured. Kakashi stopped just before he left and turned to Sakura and Chiyo. "Naruto and I will handle the one outside. Sakura, Lady Chiyo, you handle the one inside. But please, don't do anything rash until Guy's team gets back." Kakashi ordered.

"Right, you got it!" Sakura replied. Deidara was on his clay bird, circling the Akatsuki hideout from above.

"Great… he's tagging along." Deidara mumbled with a growl when he saw Kakashi next to Naruto.

"Alright, no time to waist here." Kakashi lifted the part of his head band which covered his left eye and revealed his Sharingan in that one eye. Sasori let out a deep sigh.

"The way I heard it, you retired a long time ago." Sasori said with his eyes fixed on his grandmother.

"I suddenly longed to see my grandson's face again." Chiyo responded. Sakura stared into the puppet's eyes and gulped. She could tell just by looking at him that Sasori had way more experience than her, and how different their battle styles were.

"Sakura, do not fear." Chiyo said as she began moving forward. "I am here with you, just step back now dear." The old woman reached into her long sleeves and pulled out a row of kunai, all looped onto a line of chakra string which puppet masters used to control puppets. She threw all the kunai at the puppet at once and Sasori manipulated the tail to deflect the kunais as easily as he did the first time.

"If you insist on interfering, I guess I have no choice." Sasori said aloud as he positioned Hiruko to a fighting stance. "How would you and that little brat there like to be part of my collection? Eh, Grandmother?"


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34**

Running. I've been doing nothing but running for at least an hour. The green leafy trees seemed to be nothing but a blur. Kikuhana and I stopped dead in our tracks on a tree branch when we saw the Akatsuki hideout. The entire top of the cave was gone, so it now looked like a large rocky dome. There were over a hundred demolished puppets scattered across the floor of the cave. There were three people in the cave. Chiyo, but she was lying on the floor and looked exhausted. Sasori, but he was no longer inside of Hiruko. He was wearing a burgundy cover with a hood, and he had many swords stabbed through him; one in his arm, and several wedged in his back. Sakura had various cuts all over her body, and it appeared that Sasori had stabbed her, and the bloody blade went through her gut and came out on the other side. I noticed Sasori detach his arm from the elbow, so that the sword was still in Sakura. A blade protruded out of the detached part of Sasori's arm. He jumped back several feet and then charged at the defenseless Sakura.

"Now you DIE!" Sasori shouted and he raised the sword above Sakura. I noticed Chiyo move her fingers in a quick motion. There were two puppets; a female with long brown hair and a male with shaggy red hair much like Sasori. Both the puppets had a sword and were aiming right for Sasori's heart. I gasped and my eyes widened; Sasori was focused on attacking Sakura that I knew he couldn't see the sneak attack by Chiyo.

"Kiku now!" I yelled before running at full speed and then leapt off the tree branch and into the cave. Time seemed to slow way down. I felt like I wasn't falling fast enough, that I wouldn't be able to stop either one of the attacks. Sasori or Sakura was about to die and I couldn't prevent either one of them. My feet finally came in contact with the hard rocky floor. I stood on one side of Sasori and Kikuhana on the other.

_Clang!_

I had a kunai out and deflected the sword from the male redheaded puppet. Kikuhana deflected the female puppet's attack as well but with her sword. No one spoke.

"W-what..?" Sasori muttered in astonishment as he looked my way. I didn't speak; I kept my head low and tried to get everything together. This was the first time I had been standing in front of Sakura in three years. Sasori turned his head in Kikuhana's direction with the same look. Kikuhana looked over her shoulder at him and smiled a bit.

"We're here for you, Sasori." She said to him. I glanced at Sakura from the corner of my eye. Her eyes were large and her mouth hung open in awe. I exhaled before I lifted my head.

"Th- there's no way…!" Sakura stumbled over her words. "Kikuhana… Hatone…you two are... alive!" Neither of us answered her. She stopped and examined the defensive position we had over Sasori.

"Hey, sis," Kiku spoke. I turned my head and looked at her. "You and Sasori can handle this; I need to go find Deidara before he gets into any kind of trouble." She told me.

"Yeah, ok," I replied. Kikuhana whipped her sword back into its sheath and bolted off.

"Hey... where are you-?"

"Don't worry about her." I interrupted. Sakura snapped her head back at me. She then winced and clutched the sword that was stilled impailled in her gut.

"If you're not dead, where have you been for the last three years?" Sakura questioned me. I glanced at Sasori. I felt an overwhelming wave of guilt wash over me. I've always wondered what everyone back in the Leaf Village thought when we were gone. I now knew that they thought we were dead and were worried.

"We—" Just as I started to speak Sakura collapsed. I closed my eyes and clutched Sasori's jacket. Chiyo crawled over to Sakura and her hand glowed a green chakra.

_She's a medical ninja._ I said to myself. Chiyo placed her hand on Sakura's wound, starting to heal it while simultaneously pulling out the sword slowly. Sakura cringed at the pain, but it was working. Chiyo finally managed to get the sword out and threw the blood-soaked blade aside.

"There, that should do it." Chiyo announced.

"That won't work, there's too much damage. She'll die even without the effects of the poison. She's lost too much blood. "I'm well aware that you're a medical ninja, that's why I aimed for a spot that's impossible to heal." Sasori said to his grandmother who was still healing Sakura. I gasped a little and looked at Sasori with worry.

"I've already healed the first-aid treatment with medical ninjutsu. What I am doing for her now is something very different." Chiyo said. Sasori paused.  
"What?"

"I'm harnessing my own life-force and conducting it into her body." Chiyo explained.

"No, it can't be…" Sasori said in disbelief.

"A Reanimation Ninjutsu." Chiyo said. "This jutsu of mine, I spent many years creating especially for you. And I'm the only one who can use it." She added. Sasori seemed to be in a state of surprise. I didn't know what this jutsu was or what she meant by she created it for Sasori, but I didn't want to say anything so I remained silent. Sakura's eyes began to open. "Using this jutsu, life can be breathed into anyone, even puppets. That is, in exchange for the life of the person who uses it." Chiyo finished explaining. Sasori's eyes were wide and his gaze was set on the ground. I didn't know what this jutsu meant to him, but it obviously affected him in some way.

"Oh well," Chiyo sighed. "But after all that's happened I suppose that's an impossible dream now." Sadness started to appear in the old woman's voice. A few minutes of silence passed before it was broken.

"What utter nonsense." Sasori spoke. "Tell me Grandmother, when did you become so senile?" Sakura started to wake up and she slowly begun pushing herself off the ground.

"Peculiar, that Reanimation jutsu –or whatever it's called— I thought the caster was supposed to die after using it on someone else." Sasori noticed.

"Sakura's injuries were severe but she wasn't dead when I used the jutsu." Chiyo answered. "So even though I took a risk my life was spared."

"How very unfortunate." Sasori said with a smirk. Sakura stood up and punched Sasori across the face, leaving his cheek cracked. I got in front of Sasori and swung a punch at Sakura but she cought it. I grabbed her wrist, squeezing it tightly.

"Don't touch him." I warned with an icy tone and a hard stare.

"That's pointless, this puppet body of mine can't feel any pain." Sasori said with a blank stare. "When you strike me the only thing you hurt is your fist." Sasori turned his head to Sakura. "Even if a relative, my own grandmother died right here, I wouldn't feel a thing. My heart has become like this body. Over the years I've killed thousands of people. She'd be no different from the rest. Things are much simpler than you might think" Hearing Sasori speak so badly of himself brought sadness to me. I hated hearing him say all these things because I knew they weren't true.

"You monster! What do you think human life is? What is family to you!" Sakura yelled in anger.

"Shut up!" I yelled back. "You don't know him! You have no right judging him like that!" I had some tears in my eyes. Sakura looked shocked that I was defending him.

"Didn't you just hear what he said! He wouldn't care if his own grandmother died and you're _defending _him!" Sakura shouted at me. I shook my head out of frustration.

"It's more complicated than you think…" I whispered.

"Sakura," Chiyo called. "That's enough."

"But he…"

"The teachings and customs of the Sand Village did this. We all share the blame for making him what he is today." Chiyo said with a regretful face.

"Lady Chiyo..." Sakura looked at her sympathetically.

"Deep down inside don't you wanna be like me? If you do then I'm sure you'll understand just a little of what I'm talking about." Sasori said. "This body will never fall apart or age. I'm not bound to a limited life-span. A puppet can be created over and over. With puppets you can make as much people as you want. If you want to, that is. It's not just about quantity; don't get me wrong, a serious collection is based on quality." Sasori said. Sakura glared at him with clenched fists.

"What ARE you?" Sakura questioned.

"Leave him ALONE!" I yelled.

"I would describe myself as a human being who couldn't become a complete puppet." Sasori answered Sakura. "Yes, I am an unfinished puppet whose lifeless frame still contains a beating heart at its core. I am neither dead, nor am I alive." Sasori spoke.

"Stop..." I whispered, my fist trembling. Sakura fixed her eyes on me.

"You never answered my question, where were you all these years?" Sakura asked me again.

"We ran away!" I snapped. "We weren't happy anymore! Sasuke ran away because he was consumed by revenge and Naruto left to train for who knows how long! We talked it over for months until we decided that when those two fight, we didn't want to be a part of it!" I yelled with my voice cracking at the end. Sakura's face softened a bit.

"And stop calling Sasori a monster! You have no idea how wrong you are about him. The night we left it was raining, hard, and we were lost. If Sasori didn't find us and take us back to the Akatsuki we could've **died**!" I shouted with tears filling my eyes. I couldn't see him, but I could feel Sasori's gaze on me. I looked down and calmed myself.

"Sakura, I don't want to fight you. I didn't want to see you again this way, as enemies. I still remember the fun days we all had, and I cherish them." I looked up at Sakura's face.

"Good bye, again…" I smiled faintly as I reached into my weapons pouch. I pulled out a smoke bomb and threw it on the ground. While there was a large cloud of smoke I took Sasori's hand and pulled him out of the cloud and ran for the exit.

_I'm sorry Sakura, please take care of Naruto._ I said mentally as we made a dash to the forest.


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35**

I ran with Sasori's hand in mine through the forest until we were far enough where I knew they wouldn't find us. I stopped, out of breath and fell to my knees, panting. Sasori got down beside me and place his hand on my back. I swiftly jerked my head up and started to pull the swords out of his back and arm. I quickly wiped away any tears before they got the chance to fall.

"Hatone," Sasori softly called.

"You're hurt." I choked as I continued to pull out the wedged swords.

"You know I can't feel them." Sasori told me.

"I don't care; I don't like seeing you this way." I responded. I didn't want to make eye contact with him because I knew that the moment I did I would burst into tears. There was one more sword stuck in his back, and just as I reached to pull it out Sasori took my wrist. I kept my gaze on the ground for a few more minutes until I looked up at his face, his ginger eyes staring back at me. "You almost died…!" My voice broke as tears filled up my eyes.

"I know, and I would have if you and your sister didn't jump in the way you did." There was a brief silence. "I saw the attack coming." Sasori said aloud. I paused.

"What? What do you mean?" I asked, bewildered.

"The old lady, she was my grandmother. And those two puppets, the ones she used to almost kill me, they were made after my dead parents." My eyes went wide at hearing his words.

"Your parents…?"

"Yeah, they were the first puppets I ever made. They died on a mission when I was a very young age. Granny Chiyo is a puppet master, and she was the one who introduced me to the art of puppetry. When I found out my parents died, I made two puppets to look like them." Sasori explained, although his eyes seemed distant, like he was remembering.

"Sasori… I had no idea—I'm so sorry." I whispered as tears began to shed.

* * *

Both of Deidara's sleeves were shredded and he was running with a kunai clenched between his teeth. Guy, along with his team of Neji, TenTen and Lee were trying to attack Deidara by throwing multiple attacks at him. Naruto, Kakashi, Sakura and Chiyo stood away from the battle field, but read to help if it was needed. Lee swung fast kicks and punches at Deidara but he avoided them all. Neji came in with an attack that blew a strong gust of wind, knocking Deidara against a tree. While he was there, TenTen threw four shuriken at him. Kikuhana jumped down in front of Deidara and deflected the shuriken with her sword.

"Hey! Where did you come from?" Deidara asked with surprise.

"Explanations later, now we get out of this mess." Kiku said quickly. TenTen froze and stared at Kikuhana for a short moment.

"Who are you?" She asked.

_She doesn't recognize me… that's good right now_. Kikuhana noted mentally. Deidara bolted off in another direction while Kikuhana prepared herself to battle TenTen. Guy, Neji and Lee chased after Deidara. Kikuhana glanced over her shoulder and saw that Deidara was starting to get farther away. She growled lowly and then started running in the direction where he was.

"You're not going anywhere!" TenTen proclaimed as she flipped over Kikuhana to land in front of her, blocking her way. She then pulled out a small sword and plunged it at Kikuhana, but Kikuhana countered it. The two glared deeply at one another as they pushed with their weapons. TenTen's eyes suddenly shot wide open. "Kikuhana?" She gasped.

_She figured me out._ Kiku grumbled to herself. She pushed TenTen away and ran off to aid Deidara, but TenTen followed after her. "I have to find a way to get rid of TenTen, but I—" Kiku was cut off by a sudden sharp pain grazing her side. She covered the wound with her hand and saw that it was bleeding. She looked behind her and saw TenTen with weapons in her hand. Kikuhana started jumping rapidly to different tree branches in a zigzag motion, until TenTen eventually lost track of her. She saw the rest of her team up ahead and ran to join them. Kikuhana rested against a tree trunk with her hand over the wound. Her hand glowed with green chakra, and she begun healing the damage, enough to stop the bleeding.

"Be careful everyone! He's a long-range fighter who uses explosives." Kakashi warned from a distance. Kikuhana then remembered about Deidara and ran off to where she saw the others, but stood out of their sight. Deidara stood beside one of his damaged clay birds. He spit out the kunai and seemed as if he bit off a chunk of clay from the bird and chewed it.

"I think it's about time I revealed my ultimate work of art, hmmm." Deidara announced as he swallowed the clay.

"What is he doing?" Kikuhana whispered to herself as she looked at the scene strangly. Deidara's body then started to swell up. Kikuhana gasped as she eyes grew very large, realizing what his plan was.

"Everyone get out of here immediately!" Neji exclaimed. Everyone started to run, but Kikuhana remained in the tree, frozen. Tears spilled from her wide eyes as she witnessed her comrade explode into a massive blast. The explosion spread, and with a flash of white, someone pulled Kikuhana out of the way, and she lied a few yards away from the others. Kikuhana stared tensely at the ground beneath her, in complete shock and disbelief as to what she had just witnessed. Her head snapped up when she heard the Leaf ninja begin to talk to one another.

"I… I have to get out of here… I have to find my sister…" Kiku said to herself with a shaky voice as she stumbled to her feet.

* * *

Sasori and I walked at a normal pace through the forest. I knew that this mission wasn't complete, and we still needed to find the rest of our group, but I felt calmer knowing that Sasori was alive and safe. I heard someone coming and my hand hovered over my kunai pouch. Kikuhana stepped out, with a pail face and wide eyes. Her side was also bleeding.

"Kiku!" I ran over to her alarmed. "What happened? Are you ok?" I asked, worried.

"Deidara… I couldn't save him…" She answered still shaken up.

"What do you mean?" Sasori asked her.

"Deidara's dead…!"


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36**

My eyes widened out of shock from my sister's words.

"What are you saying…?" I asked, still not fully believing what she said was true.

"Deidara's dead… he blew himself up… right in front of me…" Kikuhana answered with her voice shaking.

"Oh my gosh…!" I threw my hands over my mouth. I turned around and hugged Sasori as I began to cry. "No! No he can't be dead!" I wept. Sasori gently placed his arms around me for comfort.

"I knew he was the type to get himself killed when he was young…" Sasori said to himself.

"Itachi didn't want me to come here! He didn't want me to get hurt but I said I could do it! I told him I could save them both but I couldn't!" I yelled as I wept on Sasori's shoulder. Kikuhana's head hung low and her hair fell infront of her face. She kept quiet, but tears fell to the grass beneath her.

"Kiku," Sasori called to her with a soft voice. She didn't answer. "Kikuhana," he called again; still no reply. "You don't have to try to be strong right now." He told her. As close as my sister and I were, there was one thing she would never ever do in front of me, and that was cry. She hated it when people saw her cry, and it was very rare whenever she did allow it. Right now there was nowhere for her to run. She couldn't hide her emotions if they were obvious. With her gaze still on the floor and without a word Kikuhana ran to Sasori and hugged him; burying her face in his other shoulder. Sasori had one arm around us each and did his best to comfort us without saying anything. There were many times where we've joked with Deidara, but I never actually wanted him to die. It was hard enough seeing our friends from three years ago and having to fight against them. Looking at their faces and being unable to help but remember the fun times. But no, that wasn't enough. We lost a comrade today. As obnoxious as he was, his sudden death took a strong impact on me. I would always remember Deidara.

Suddenly, a voice broke the silence of the moment.

"Who died, hmmm?" My eyes shot open. I pulled away from Sasori and all of us looked in the direction of the voice. Deidara was standing a few feet away from us, alive and in one piece.

"Deidara!" My voice cracked as I ran to him and hugged him tightly. "You're alive! You're alive!" I shouted as I was now crying tears of relief.

"Well of course I'm alive. Do you really think I'd be killed so easily, hmm?" Deidara said while looking down at me. Kikuhana walked up to Deidara and stared at him with a tear-stained face. He stared back at her and the staring continued until Kikuhana smacked Deidara on the shoulder and hugged him.

"Don't ever pull a stunt like that again." She warned, but in a calm, relived voice.

"If it worried you guys _that _much I won't." Deidara said, smiling a little. Sasori was the last one to make his way over to the group. He too just stared at Deidara.

"What? I don't get a tearful hug from you, hmmm?" Deidara asked sarcastically.

"Look," Sasori said, ignoring his question. "I could care less if you lived or died. But they do care, so don't put those girls through anything like that again." Sasori said a slightly protective voice.

"Alright, alright. You guys thought I was dead five minutes ago and now I'm getting nothing but warnings, hmm." Deidara said. I pulled away from him.

"But you're not dead and we can go back now." I said as I reached for his arm, but I only grabbed a handful of his sleeve. I froze and then reached up a bit higher but I still couldn't feel his arm. "Deidara…" I called. "Where is your arm?" I asked with a slight gulp.

"Oh, that Copy Ninja, Kakashi, used some kind of ninjutsu which opened this vortex. It tried to suck me in, but it caught my arm all the way to my elbow before it closed, hmmm." Deidara explained. My face went pale.

"You mean that your…"

"Arm is gone from the elbow down?" Deidara finished my sentence. "Yep, it is. And I was looking for it when I heard you guys crying; more specifically, when I heard Hatone crying. She was louder, hmm." Deidara said in a strangely calm manner. My head felt very fuzzy, which was probably nausea.

"Ok, we'll have to find your arm then." I said to try to keep calm. I reached for his other arm but let go when I heard him say "ow".

"That one's broken, hmm." Deidara told me.

"What! How!" I exclaimed in shock.

"When I was fighting Gaara, the Kazekage. He crushed my arm up to my shoulder." Deidara briefly explained.

"One arm is broken while the other is gone?" Kiku asked for clarification.

"Yep," Deidara confirmed.

"Reckless fool," Sasori sighed.

"Hey, Sasori," Deidara spoke. "What happened to you face?" He asked while looking at the large crack on Sasori's cheek.

"That pink-haired girl punched me in the face." Sasori said with his usual board expression. This caused Deidara to laugh and I shot a small look at him. "This isn't even my body. I switched bodies with another puppet in the middle of the fight." Sasori pointed out.

"You did?" Kikuhana asked with confusion in her tone. Sasori's physical features were the same so I couldn't tell that he had a different body. I also assumed that he didn't have another puppet that looked exactly like him.

"Well do you wanna go back to the hideout to get your body back?" I asked him. "So you won't walk around with a big crumbling hole on your face." I added.

"Yeah, most likely." He replied.

"I know you've probably forgotten about this already, but I need to find my arm, hmm." Deidara reminded everyone. I thought for a moment.

"Ok, how about this. I'll go with Sasori back to the Akatsuki to retrieve his body, and Kiku can go with you to help find your arm." I said.

"Why do I have to be stuck with him?" Kikuhana asked while pointing to Deidara.

"Because you're the medical ninja and you're gonna have to heal his arms anyway." I reasoned.

"Alright fine," Kiku gave up on arguing.

"Should we meet up back here?" Sasori asked.

"I don't see why not, hmmm." Deidara said. I smiled a bit.

"Ok, it's settled then." Sasori and I turned around and started heading back to the almost completely destroyed Akatsuki hideout while Kikuhana helped Deidara continue to look for his arm. I felt so much relief now, to know that both of them were safe and alive.


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter 37**

It wasn't long before Sasori and I arrived back at the Akatsuki hideout. As we walked in, I could actually take time to look around the demolished cave. Because the roof of the cave was gone, it looked similar to a giant crater now. I examined the lifeless puppet bodies lying scattered across the hideout. I kept staring at the two puppets that Kikuhana and I deflected away from Sasori. The ones Sasori said he made after his parents died…his puppet parents.

"Hatone," I snapped out of my daze at the sound of my name being called. Sasori was standing near one of the walls of the cave. I walked over to him and saw some yellow thing pinning Sasori's body against the wall. His eyes were empty. Just two black holes on a face with a blank expression. His lifeless body was leaning forward a bit and I could see many puppet features. There was a line around his neck, wrists, shoulders and elbows which I could tell that those parts of his body detached. There was one circle-shaped hole on one side of his chest and a square-shaped hole on the other side. I took one step closer and stepped on what felt like metal. I looked down and saw a black ninja headband. I picked it up and saw it was a Sand Village head band with a scratch straight through the Sand Village symbol.

"This is your headband, isn't it?" I asked Sasori. I figured that he had to have one, even though I never saw him wear it.

"It is," he answered. "Do you see this hole?" Sasori asked me as he pointed to the circle in the lifeless puppet's chest.

"Yeah," I answered. Sasori took off the burgundy coat he had on and pointed to the cylinder protruding out of the center of his chest. The front part of it was white and it had the kanji for "scorpion" written in red.

"I was a human a log time ago, and in order for me to keep living I still have my heart." He said.

"I know, you've told me and Kiku before. Your heart is your life source, in that cylinder." I said with a bit of a smile.

"Exactly," Sasori smiled back. "So what you need to do is very carefully take the cylinder that contains my heart out of this chest and put it into the empty hole in my chest there." He instructed. "Oh, and if you damage the cylinder you could probably damage my heart and I could die." Sasori added. My face went pale. This made me extremely nervous because I was the biggest klutz I knew. Sasori could tell I was starting to become uneasy. "So don't break my heart." Sasori joked with a smile to lighten the mood. I started to laugh.

"Ok, I won't." I smiled. I placed both my hands on the corner of the cylinder. I pulled on it gently until I heard something click. I quickly looked up and Sasori's face and saw his eyes go wide before they faded and went black. The body went limp and fell forward. I quickly caught the body before it hit the floor. I gulped nervously and proceeded to finish taking the cylinder out. I stood to my feet and faced Sasori's lifeless body that was still pinned against the wall. I took one step and froze when I felt Sasori's heart beat from inside the cylinder. "Sasori's fate rests in my hands…no pressure." I said out loud to myself. I stood on my toes as I placed the cylinder inside the hole in his chest and slowly pushed it in. I then heard a click and finished pushing it in. I took one step back and waited for him to gain consciousness. "Sasori…?" I called, my voice a little quiet. He didn't answer. "Sasori!" I yelled, becoming concerned. Five seconds passed before Sasori's eyes shot open and he looked around. I sighed, relived. "Hey, are you ok?" I asked with a smile.

"Yeah, but it would be nice to get down." Sasori said.

"Oh yeah, sorry about that." I laughed nervously. I grabbed the object that had him pinned against the wall and threw it aside. Sasori dropped down but landed on his feet. Sasori bent down and picked up his headband which was still lying on the floor. He put it in the square shape in his chest and closed it. "How come you never wear it?" I asked.

"I just don't feel like it." Sasori answered with a shrug. He put the burgundy coat back on because he didn't have a shirt.

"Well, we should go back to the spot to meet up with Kiku and Deidara." I announced. Sasori agreed and we started walking out of the hideout. We barley got back in the forest before Sasori spoke again.

"Hey, what exactly did you mean when you said Itachi didn't want you to come here?" he asked me. I froze in my tracks and blushed.

"Oh…well, uh—" I stammered. I debated if I should tell him about us or not. Then again, Kisame already found out. "Well, we've kind of been in…" I was cut off when I felt something land on my shoulder. It had claws, I could feel them. Out of natural reaction I screamed and swatted away whatever was on my shoulder. I saw a crow fly away from me and land on a branch on a tree right in front of me. It had a piece of paper in its mouth. I looked closer at the crow and saw it had red Sharingan eyes. I then realize the crow was sent by Itachi. I rushed over to it and it dropped the paper in my hand. I opened the paper and read what was on it.

_Are you safe?_

I pulled out the pen I had in my pocket and started writing back.

_Yes, everything's ok. Deidara's hurt though all because he kept being reckless. Kikuhana needs to treat him. Other than that I'm fine and we should be back soon. …Thank you._

I clicked the pen and put it back in my pocket. I folded the paper and cautiously held it up to the crow. It cawed and took the paper before flying away.

"What was that?" Sasori asked me while still watching the crow fly away.

"It had a message…from Itachi." I answered with my hands behind my back.

"What's going on with you two?" He questioned.

"We're in a relationship…" I answered shyly with a blush. Sasori's eyebrows raised a bit.

"Oh really?"

* * *

Kikuhana and Deidara were still on the hunt to find Deidara's arm.

"I still can't believe you lost the use of both your arms in a 24 hour period." Kiku said out loud as she continued to look around. "But then again, it is _you_ we're talking about." She added.

"Oh would you just focus of finding my arm, hmm?" Deidara said with an annoyed expression. Kikuhana paused and looked straight ahead.

"Shh,"

"Don't shush me just because—!"

"Shhhhh!" Kiku hissed. "I think I hear someone up ahead." She told him.

"Well, what do you know? Looks like Deidara's a goner." Tobi said as he walked over to Deidara's arm lying in the middle of the forest. The palm of the hand was facing upwards and the tongue was hanging out of the mouth. "Blew himself to bits from the looks of it, don't you think Mr. Zetsu?" Tobi said while looking back at Zetsu, who was right behind Tobi. "There are probably body parts scattered all over the place." Tobi said with a laugh.

"Get your hands off that you fool!" Deidara yelled at Tobi as he came around a tree.

"Hey! He's alive!" Tobi said happily smiling under his mask. Deidara started walking towards Tobi and Kikuhana followed him, but she stood behind Deidara a little.

"Where's the tailed beast host?" Zetsu asked Deidara.

"Don't look at me; I did my job, hmm." Deidara answered.

"Dear, dear, you must have had a close shave, huh Deidara?" Tobi asked, but in a way to antagonize Deidara. "But, you're in one piece. –Opps, sorry!" Tobi laughed. Deidara had a look of extreme irritation on his face.

"Tobi, even the Buddha looses patience when insulted a third time. One more word out of you and they'll be no doubt about the cause of your death." Deidara warned. Tobi snickered.

"You're just gonna bomb me to death, right?" Tobi said in a humorously mocking tone.

"That was the third one…" Zetsu said aloud. Deidara then wrapped both legs around Tobi's neck and started to choke him.

"Death by suffocation! Hmm!" Deidara yelled as the strangled the defenseless Tobi.


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter 38**

"Did you really, _really_ have to strangle Tobi with your feet like that?" Kikuhana questioned Deidara as they walked.

"Hey, he had it coming, hmm." Deidara replied. Kiku rolled her eyes.

"You've already gotten yourself into as much trouble as it is, try not to… I don't know, act like you right now." She muttered.

"Act like me?" Deidara asked.

"You know what I mean," Kiku glared, making Deidara laugh.

* * *

I couldn't stand the awkwardness I felt now that I told Sasori about me and Itachi. Of course Sasori wasn't a gossip, so it's not like I thought he would run around screaming it from the rooftops.

"So how long has this been going on?" Sasori asked me.

"Months…" I answered. "Maybe close to a year…" I mumbled shyly under my breath.

"Wow," Sasori was smiling a little bit. "How did this start? Did he just walk up to you one day and ask you out or what?" Before I could have my chance to answer him I heard noises coming close to us. I jumped beside Sasori as my hand hovered over my weapons pouch. Once I saw a figure I threw a kunai straight at the person.

"Watch it! Hmm!" Deidara's voice came from behind the tree. I sighed.

"Sorry, sorry, I just panicked." I told him while scratching the back on my head.

"There's a shock, hmmm." Deidara replied with sarcasm. I gave him a look and then saw my sister appear. She fixed her eyes on Sasori.

"Oh good, you got your body back!" She smiled happily. "I'm gonna need to start working on fixing Deidara's arms." My sister said as she started pulling medical equipment out of her bag. Deidara sat down and leaned back against the trunk of a tree. Sasori and I sat down a little further back so we could watch Kikuhana work without disturbing her. Kikuhana took Deidara's cloak off and then started lifting his shirt.

"Hey, whoa, whoa, what do you think you're doing, hmm?" Deidara squirmed away from her.

"Taking your shirt off," Kiku said dryly.

"Why?" Deidara questioned.

"Because I can actually see where the damage on your shoulder is." Kiku said.

"Can't you just roll up the sleeve?" Deidara asked.

"Can't you shut up and let me work?"

"Deidara, why are you being so modest?" I asked. "You're definitely _not_ a shy person." I added. He just stared at me for a moment before letting out a sigh.

"Fine, fine, do what you wish, hmm." Deidara said, giving up. Kikuhana pulled off his shirt to see what he was trying to hide.

We both stared at the thing on his chest.

"You have a tattoo?" I asked, wondering why he would try to hide that.

"It's not a tattoo, hmm." He said. "Just like how I have mouths on the palms of my hands, I have an extra large mouth on my chest, that's what this is." Deidara explained.

"Is it alive?" I asked as I poked it.

"Stop poking it!" Deidara commanded as he pushed my hand away with his foot. "And yes, it does move, I only keep it sewn shut because I never use it, hmm."

"How come?" Kiku asked.

"I just don't," Deidara answered back.

"Well you use the mouths on your hands," Kiku said.

"Can you just fix my arms, hmmm?" Deidara asked with irritation.

"Alright fine," Kikuhana said as she unzipped her bag. "Now, we can do this one of two ways. It can be fast and very painful, or very slow but painless. Because I don't wanna be stuck here all day, I'm going to do the fast and painful procedure. However, because I don't want you complaining the whole day, I choose to tranquilize you." Kikuhana said as she pulled out all the items and tools she needed.

"I don't need tranquilizers. I'm a ninja; I can handle the pain, hmm." Deidara told her. Kikuhana stared at him blankly and stuck him in the shoulder with a needle. Deidara let out a yelp of pain.

"Exactly. You'll feel that about 1000x more when I'm sewing your arm back on. Don't argue with me." Kiku said with her motherly instincts kicking in. She got a needle filled with a clear liquid, stuck it in Deidara's neck and pushed on the plunger. In a matter of seconds Deidara's eyes became heavy and he was knocked out cold.

"You should use that on him more often." Sasori said, causing me to chuckle. Kikuhana started working with Deidara's broken arm because it wouldn't have taken as much time as the detached arm. A few minutes of silence passed before Sasori spoke again.

"Well, since he's passed out, I guess I can finish telling you my story." Sasori told us. Both my sister and I paused and look at him.


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter 39**

Kikuhana sat up and turned her attention away from the wounded and unconscious Deidara and focused on Sasori.

"Your… past?" She wondered.

"I started telling your sister, but we got cut off when you and Deidara found us." Sasori explained. I was still sitting in the same spot, I didn't move. I've always wanted to know more about Sasori. However, I never asked him due to the fact that I feared I might ask him to tell me something too personal. All rouge ninja have a troubled past; some are willing to talk about it, others aren't. "It pretty much all started when I was a baby," Sasori began as he fixed his ginger eyes to the sky. "Whenever my parents would go on missions, they would leave me in the care of my grandmother, Chiyo. I would always enjoy spending time with her, but of course I wanted to be with my parents and I always looked forward to their return. One day, when I was around 5 years of age, they didn't come back. It turns out they were killed by the Leaf Village's White Fang, Sakumo Hatake." I silently gasped; Sakumo Hatake was Kakashi's father.

"My grandmother learned about their death right away, but she tried to keep me in the dark about it. Whenever I would ask her if she heard from them, she would tell me they've been sent on another mission. I don't know how she was going to tell me, but she never had to because I figured it out on my own. To cheer me up, Granny Chiyo began teaching me how to make puppets. She would give me basic wooden parts to build puppets with, so I practiced making them everyday. I had a picture of my parents that was taken when I was just an infant, and I kept it with me. I started to feel loneliness, so I made two puppets to resemble my parents. Those were the puppets that you deflected away from me when you interfered with the battle." Sasori glanced at us. My eyes widened. I knew that both the puppets closely resembled Sasori; I just didn't know they were made to look like his parents. "Anyway, I eventually got bored of my puppet parents because they were lifeless, hollow shells that were incapable of giving me the love I desired from my father and mother. I lived with my grandmother Chiyo and continued to make puppets. She also taught me the Puppet Master Jutsu. I even learned how to make poisons. I eventually took what I knew about making puppets and expanded that until I figured out how to turn human beings into puppets. Anyone who I fought and killed in battle I made into a puppet and started my collection. It wasn't until sometime after I left the Sand Village I turned myself into a human puppet." Sasori paused for a moment, still with his gaze at the sky. My sister and I both were lost for words, and everything remained silent. I was so astounded by his story. "You know what I find kind of funny?" Sasori asked aloud with a slight half smile forming on his face. "I used to think that if my grandmother died, I would feel nothing. Then, after spending all these years in the Akatsuki, I realized that I didn't care about anyone other than myself and my puppets. That I have become like a puppet myself; a lifeless shell that's incapable of emotion or friendliness to others. I carried that thought around with me for years, until I met the two of you. I've come to care for you two," he fixed his eyes back on us. "Like you were the little sisters I never had." Sasori finished his sentence with a small smile. My eyes watered up; his words touched me so deeply.

"Oh Sasori," I choked and hugged him while letting out a few soft sobs. Kikuhana brushed her hair in front of her face and started working on Deidara's arms again. She stopped for a very brief moment to wipe her eyes.

"Kiku, it's ok to cry," Sasori told her while smiling warmly.

"I'm not crying, it's allergies." She defended her self quickly, but in a low voice. Just then, Deidara started to moan as if he was being rudely awaken from a deep sleep. "I guess I didn't give him enough tranquilizers…" Kiku muttered as she pulled out the big needle again and stuck Deidara in the neck with it. The medical ninja proceeded to work on fixing Deidara's arms as Sasori and I sat on the forest floor, watching her work. I wasn't quite sure what to say to him after that. Nevertheless, it made me happy that he thought of Kikuhana and me as his sisters. The truth was, my sister and I had always seen Sasori as a brotherly figure. I looked up to him in more ways than one. As an artist, as a ninja, and as a friend. He was the first actual friend my sister and I made at the Akatsuki. In each other's eyes, we were the sibling we never had, and it truly made me happy.


	40. Chapter 40

**Chapter 40**

It didn't take very long until Kikuhana was finished healing up Deidara's arms. His arms weren't entirely healed; he needed a cast on the arm that was ripped off, and bandages around his broken arm. We all could foresee that he wouldn't like both of his arms being useless. Now it was just a waiting game until the tranquilizer wore off and he woke up again.

"We should chop off a big lock of his hair and watch him freak out when he wakes up." Kiku suggested with a sly smile. I chuckled.

"He's been through enough already," I told my sister. "We'll wait till after he recovers from this." I added. Kikuhana focused her attention back to the sleeping Deidara and lightly poked his cheek.

"Hey," she called as she poked him twice more. Deidara's eyebrows furrowed as he began groaning, like he was coming out of a very deep sleep. "You awake yet?" Kiku asked Deidara as she poked him one last time before his visible eye peeked open.

"What?" Deidara grumbled.

"What is the last thing you remember?" Kiku asked while keeping her dark brown eyes locked on the blond.

"You were stabbing me in the neck with a needle, hmm." Deidara said with a moderately irritated tone. Kikuhana smiled brightly.

"Good! Then you're not delusional." She stood up to her feet and put her medical bag away. Deidara looked down and examined his arms. His right arm was completely wrapped in bandages up to his shoulder. His left arm was wrapped up to his elbow and was resting in a cast that slung over his shoulder.

"I thought you were gonna fix me, hmm." Deidara commented.

"I fixed you up enough right now so that you don't bleed to death or get an infection. I'm gonna keep checking on your arms until they're fully healed. I don't carry _all _of my medical equipment with me, so as of right now that's the best I could do. But don't worry; you'll have those bandages off in less than a week." Kiku ended her sentence with a reassuring smile. I saw Deidara trying to stand to his feet, so I went over to assist him.

"I could stand up on my own, you know." Deidara told me. Stubborn as a mule. Injuries or not, that was Deidara.

"While you're in this state, I'm helping you." I answered with an 'I-won't-take-no-for-an-answer' tone. "Anyway, we should probably be getting back to Itachi—I mean…" I blushed when I realized what I had said out loud.

"What was that, hmm?" Deidara asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Nothing…" I glanced off in the other direction. We all started walking with my sister leading the way. Deidara was bound to find out sooner or later now that both Kisame and Sasori found out. I figured that I should probably brace myself for the extreme embarrassment I was going to feel when we met back up with the other two again. Knowing Kisame, he'll defiantly have something to say about the scene that happened just before Kiku and I left. Deidara would most likely be taken by surprise, although I wasn't exactly sure what he would say. I could count on Sasori not to torment me; however I was iffy about my sister. I started to blush at the mere thought of it all. I closed my eyes as I let out a deep sigh. My eyes then flew wide open as something on the ground caught around my ankle and I fell forward. I threw my hands in front of myself to cushion the fall, but fell face-first into something hard and felt tremendous pain in my nose after hearing a slight cracking sound. I tossed my hands over my nose and yelled in pain. I heard the sound of the others rushing to my aid.

"What happened?" Sasori asked as he helped me sit up.

"I don't know. I tripped and I fell and then this." I winced and kept one hand over my nose and mouth and opened one eye. I glanced down and saw the culprit. A large, very hard, bloodstained rock was lying a few inches away from me.

"Let me see," Kiku said as she gently pulled my hand away from my nose; revealing the bloody mess. "Yeah, it's broken." She confirmed as she took her medical bag back out.

"What!" I shouted in alarm.

"Hatone," my sister called in a calm voice. I turned my head to her with worried eyes. She grabbed my nose. "Sorry," before I could have a chance to ask why she was apologizing, she jerked my nose which caused the pain to come shooting back.

"OW! Why!" I screeched in pain.

"I'm sorry I did that, sissy. But I did it so that when your nose heals it won't heal back crooked." Kikuhana explained in a caring voice. She cleaned up the blood that was on my face and used a bit of her medical ninjutsu to ease some of the pain. She put a wide, white bandage across my nose to finish. I felt my nose throbbing a bit, but the pain was gone.

"Klutz, hmm." Deidara taunted with a half smile.

"Reckless, hmm." I taunted back.

Sunset was nearly over when we made

* * *

it back to the spot where we last saw Itachi and Kisame, only they weren't in sight. We moved to the forest area and Kisame was standing by a tree.

"Welcome back," Kisame grinned. "My, my, looks like you've gotten yourselves into trouble." Kisame commented. Deidara and I just happened to be standing next to each other, both of us with clear signs of injury. I stepped a few feet forward, wondering where Itachi was when I heard someone behind me. I swiftly turned around and there he was. A relieved and happy smile grew on my face and I hugged him.

"I missed you," Itachi told me as he stroked my hair.

"I missed _you_," I repeated. Itachi pulled me back to look at my face.

"What happened?" He asked me as he lightly touched the bandage on my nose.

"I tripped and fell of a rock…" I admitted as I shyly glanced down.

"Be more careful," Itachi lightly chuckled. I missed hearing his laugh, and it made me smile.


	41. Chapter 41

**Chapter 41**

"Come again, hmm?" Deidara's voice was flat, but still baffled.

"Yeah, Itachi and Hatone are dating." Kikuhana answered in a casual tone, like it was no big deal. Deidara was the last of our group to find out about the secret relationship and as expected, he had the biggest reaction.

"Your baby sister is dating the Uchiha and you're perfectly fine with it, hmm?" Deidara questioned Kikuhana, in disbelief. I growled a bit when he referenced Itachi as "the Uchiha".

"Oh, I already knew." Kiku answered with a smile.

"You knew! For how long?"

"Day one," Kiku was enjoying the reactions Deidara had to this news. The two loved to take each other off guard. Itachi glanced down at me after hearing my sister's response.

"Oh –yeah….um, I may have told her from the very first day. We kinda tell each other everything." I laughed nervously as I scratched my cheek. My nervous smile made the bandage on my nose wrinkle and also made my bruised nose sting a bit. I still found it hard to believe I actually broke my nose on a rock. Itachi smiled a bit and rested his chin on the top of my head.

"It's fine," Itachi assured me. He was standing behind me and holding my left hand, which was by my side. I froze when Deidara fixed his blue eye on me and Itachi.

"Just how long _have_ you been… going out anyway, hmm?" Deidara asked which forced the others' attention on us. I felt the embarrassment start up as it began to show on my face.

"Close to a year now," I replied. _Although it really isn't any of your business… _I added in my head.

"Hey, hey, as much as I'd love to see where this conversation goes," Kisame chimed in with a grin. "While you guys were away we got news from the leader." Everyone focused their attention to Kisame, becoming serious again.

"Oh yeah," Itachi murmured.

"Apparently whoever Sasori was fighting, they caused a big mess in the Akatsuki during the fight. The whole place is destroyed and the enemy knows our location now." Kisame informed.

"Your point being…?" Kikuhana waited for him to get to the point.

"We're relocating. The new Akatsuki HQ is already set up so we gotta go." Kisame explained.

"Nice job with destroying the hideout, hmm." Deidara mocked Sasori. Sasori sent a death glare to Deidara before he switched back to his normal bored expression. It would probably take several hours before we arrived at the new location. Therefore, we started traveling to the new place right away.

Now that the surprise subsided, I knew that Deidara—and Kisame—wouldn't hesitate to mock, torment, or try to embarrass me with their comments. Deidara tilted his head back and closed his eyes as a smile formed on his mouth.

"So, the shy good girl and the Uchiha, sounds like a fairy tail, don't you think? Which fairy tail shall we compare this too…Beauty and the Beast, hmm?" Deidara teased, making Kisame laugh at the comment. I blushed a shade of dark pink and stared at Deidara from my right side.

"Would you stop?" My tone of voice wasn't quite asking, nor was it yelling. I knew awkwardness of the situation would spread like wildfire, and I deeply wanted to prevent that.

"I'm actually surprised they stayed in the Akatsuki. You would think they would've gone all 'Romeo and Juliet' on us by now and just run away." Kisame added.

"Yeah, wouldn't be surprising if that happened. Which makes me wonder if they…" Deidara was cut off

"Alright, alright! What do you say we just focus on finding the new location, m'kay?" Kikuhana interrupted loudly while flailing her arms in the air and making lots of hand motions. Deidara and Kisame both smirked.

"So you're the referee?" Kisame asked.

"You could say that," Kikuhana answered as she walked beside Sasori. Kiku didn't get embarrassed easily, which was the complete opposite of me. She knew how quickly and easily I became embarrassed, so depending on the situation she would interfere and change the subject. I gave a mental sigh of relief. I looked at my sister with grateful eyes; she just smiled at me. Kisame and Deidara continued to talk and snicker amongst them selves. Kikuhana walked beside Sasori and talked. Sasori mostly listened; nodding here and there and saying a few words, but letting her speak for the most part. Itachi walked beside me and laced his hand with mine.

"Just ignore them," he told me.

"Easy for you to say," I mumbled. Because of my short temper I found it very hard to just ignore people. It was a weakness of mine that I disliked. The uncomfortable awkwardness was wearing down, however some embarrassment still remained. I found myself scratching the back of my head again, in a rather quick motion.

"Why do you do that?" Itachi asked me.

"Huh?" I glanced up at him. "Oh, it's just a nervous habit." I answered, somewhat shyly.

Itachi smiled faintly and chuckled a bit. "What?" I blinked.

"Nothing," Itachi answered, smiling still as he looked down at me. "It's cute," he added. The blush raced back to my cheeks as I giggled slightly.


	42. Chapter 42

**Chapter 42**

It was just after sunset when we had arrived at the new Akatsuki headquarters. Kikuhana spent no time choosing our room, the one with the most space. It had been very long the past few days and it was obvious how tired everyone was.

"Don't take off those bandages or that cast; I'll do it for you. I'll have to check on your arms every day until they fully heal." Kiku instructed Deidara as she adjusted his bandages.

"Yes, mommy." Deidara answered sarcastically.

"If you insist on acting like a child, you'll be treated like one." Kiku muttered, folding her arms across her chest.

"Well, it's been a long day… or _days_ I should say." Kisame grinned. "I'm gonna hit the sack; later." Kisame announced as he walked to his new room.

"Night," Kiku and I smiled and waved in unison. I glanced over to Sasori, who looked to be deeply in thought.

"Are you going to sleep too?" I asked him.

"No, I don't really need to sleep." He answered. "I'd like to work on some of my puppets… but it seems that I'll have to start my collection all over again." Sasori added, while putting his arms behind his head.

"Oh… that's right…" I whispered to myself. Sasori's collection consisted of 298 puppets he made and collected over the years. During his battle with Sakura and Chiyo, all of them were destroyed. I felt horrible for that. Sasori's collection was his art. It would be like something you've worked very hard on for years, and suddenly it's all demolished. Sasori rested his arms by his side and smiled at my sister and me.

"Good night, girls." He glanced at Deidara and Itachi. "Night," he said a bit quieter before turning to walk away.

"Kiku, is there a specific way I have to sleep or can I go now, hmm?" Deidara asked her.

"No, you can go to sleep. You'll want to sleep on your back though. I mean, you don't have to, but sleeping on either side would probably hurt." Kikuhana smirked a bit.

"I'll keep that in mind," Deidara replied. "See ya, hmm." Deidara departed to his room. My sister looked back at me and Itachi from the corner of her eye. She knew he hadn't left yet because he wanted to say good night to me, but neither of us were sure how to act around Kiku without it being at least slightly awkward. She faced us both, smiling kindly.

"I'll let the two of you say good night. Just don't keep me waiting long, ok, Hatone?" She told me. I smiled nervously and nodded. I knew that I shouldn't feel weird around my sister; however I could feel the uneasy tension leaking back into the air. Itachi and I watched my sister leave down the hall way. Itachi focused his attention back to me.

"Your sister won't always have you on a curfew, will she?" Itachi joked while smiling softly. I smiled back and giggled a bit. I stepped forward, placing my arms around him, pulling him into a slight hug. I rested my head against his chest, smiling still and with a small blush.

"No, she just likes to tease me." I told him.

"A lot has happened these past few days, you should rest up." Itachi said to me while stroking my hair.

"Yeah…" I answered with a dazed tone. I pulled my head back to look at his face and felt myself blush. I looked into his warm, comforting, black eyes.

"I love you," I said. Itachi smiled at this and leaned in to give me a small but soft and sweet kiss.

"And I love you… Good night, Hatone." He pulled his arms back and waited for me to leave. I stopped in the middle of the hall, about to open my door.

"Good night," I smiled at him before entering my room. Kikuhana was sitting on the bed, wearing her pajamas that consisted of a blue t-shirt and black shorts that went to the knee. She was using a towel to dry off her wet hair.

"The shower's all yours if you want it." She told me.

"Oh, good, thanks." I smiled. I unzipped my bag and pulled out a black tank top and lavender shorts.

Ten minutes passed by and I came out of the shower. I left my hair down and ran my fingers through my wet locks. Kiku glanced up at me and arched an eyebrow.

"Why did you take the bandage off your nose?" she questioned.

"Oh, it came off in the shower. Besides, you said it'll be fine and healed in the next few days." I retorted as I lightly rubbed the bridge of my nose. She shrugged. I sat down on the bed, sitting on my heels. Kiku stood up to open the windows, allowing the room to be illuminated by the moonlight. Kikuhana stared at me with seriousness in her eyes before she sat back down on the bed.

"Gaara's alive." She stated. My eyes started to widen.

"Wha…what do you mean he's alive?" I asked, my eyes filled with bewilderment.

"Remember when I went to go look for Deidara and you stood back with Sasori? Well, after I thought Deidara was dead, I tried to get out of that area as quickly as I could. I recall passing by this area with an open, grassy field. The… others, they were all there, surrounding Gaara. Sakura was trying to use her medical jutsu to heal him, but from what I could tell it wasn't working. Then Naruto… he started crying, and yelling. That old lady, Chiyo, Sasori's grandmother, she got down beside Gaara and used some weird jutsu. The next thing I know I see Chiyo fall over and Gaara sit up." Kikuhana explained.

_Weird jutsu… she fell over…Gaara sat up…_ I gasped.

"What is it?" Kiku asked.

"She mentioned before about a jutsu she invented called the Reanimation Jutsu. It allows something or someone lifeless to come to life, but in order for that to happen the user must give up their life. Chiyo gave up her life to save Gaara's… Sasori's grandmother is dead…" My voice faded to a whisper. I had no idea how he'd take this news. Sasori said he didn't care about his grandmother anymore, but he easily could have been lying. I didn't know how we were going to tell him… if we were _supposed _to tell him. The silence remained in the moonlit room for a while.

"While I went to go look for Deidara… what happened?" she asked, breaking the silence. "With you and Sakura, I mean." She added.

"She was shocked to see us. She said she thought we were dead, which is exactly what you and I thought they'd think. She obviously wasn't very pleased to see that I was helping Sasori. She also ended up punching him in the face, which didn't make me too happy." I chuckled once. The smiled quickly dropped as I kept my gaze locked on my hands resting in my lap. When the leader made me go with Itachi to stall them, I saw Naruto and Kakashi-sensei as well. I hid the whole time; I didn't have the heart to face them. At one point, Naruto was right in front of me to the point where I could reach out and touch him." I paused.

"When leader sent me to go with Kisame to stall Guy's team, I saw Neji, TenTen and Lee. I also hid, so none of them saw me, but I was worried about Neji's Byakugan. Apparently, Pakkun was with them." This caught my attention.

"Pakkun?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "Because he was a ninja dog he picked up my scent. It took him a little while, but he figured it out. I have no idea if he told the others or not. Actually… I don't think he got the chance to. When I went to find Deidara I had a brief encounter with TenTen, and she was surprised to see me. I think Neji saw me too…" Kiku proceeded to tell her story with her eyes fixed on the ceiling. The silence came back, both of us thinking about what the other had said.

"Do you… do you think we'll see them again?" I asked my sister.

"Yes," she answered.

"As enemies or allies?" I added to the question. She paused.

"I don't know…"

I stared out the window at the crescent moon. I reflected on all that's happened in the past several days, and what could happen in the future because of it. Kikuhana sat up and pulled the blankets on her side of the bed down. "I'm tried, I'm gonna go to sleep, you should too." She told me.

"Yeah… I will." I answered.

"Good night," she said.

"Night…" I said back, distantly. I waited until I knew my sister was asleep before I got off the bed. I walked over to the dresser and picked up the picture frame that was on it. I sat back on the bed, staring at the picture. In it, there was a picture of Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, me and Kikuhana, and several of our other classmates at the Ninja Academy. The picture was taken right after we all graduated and became Genin. I looked at all the smiling, happy faces in the picture. Everyone with their brand-new Leaf Village Ninja headbands, ready to take on the world as official ninja. I tried not to look at this picture often; every time I did it brought back too many fond but painful memories. Seeing my old teammates in person the past few days brought back many painful memories and feelings. My vision became blurred with tears as I continued to gaze upon the picture. One by one, tear drops fell onto the picture frame, slowly rolling down the glass.


	43. Chapter 43

**Chapter 43**

I found myself walking through the forest with my sister Kikuhana, Sasori, and Deidara. The four of us had been assigned to a new mission. It was the first mission I was assigned to without Itachi, and neither of us was very thrilled about it. I knew Itachi was upset about it because he was concerned for my safety. I constantly kept that in mind and it made me feel a little better about the mission. I looked up and as I walked I could see bits and pieces of the clean, blue sky peaking through the leafy treetops. I dropped my head back down and stared straight ahead. As I followed the others through the cool forest I began to think of our mission. Sasori, Deidara, Kikuhana and I are supposed to find a guy with a scroll. The leader never said what the scroll actually does; however, he did say that it was unique from most scrolls. It gives off a kind of aura that ninja can sense with their chakra. Leader also never gave any physical description of the carrier of the scroll. All he said was that the guy we were looking for is a wizard. The only resource we had was a map to a town where he's most commonly seen. The most confusing thing I though was what Leader said to us right before we left. The words he said were, "It shouldn't be hard for you to find the wizard… Not at all." What made me suspicious was that he said the last part while looking at me and my sister. It was probably nothing, but I couldn't shake the feeling of that look he gave us. To me, that look said "You better watch yourselves because if you think this mission's gonna be a breeze you're in for a world of surprise!" Then again, my paranoia always made me think up crazy scenarios.

Kikuhana leaned against a tree and took off her boot. She hung it upside down and beat it until a rock fell out.

"When are we gonna get there?" Kikuhana asked. "My feet hurt." She added.

"We're almost there, just hang on for a bit longer." Sasori answered.

"Ok," Kiku said as she slipped her boot back on.

"You've been awfully quiet; what's on your mind, hmm?" I heard Deidara's voice, but I didn't realize he was talking to me. I looked up at Deidara, who was walking next to me, and saw he was glancing down at me from the corner of his eye.

"Oh," I snapped out of my daze. "Uhh, not much." I said.

"Thinking about your boyfriend, hmm?" Deidara mocked. I furrowed my eyebrows and growled at him a bit with a blush.

"Deidara, leave her alone." Sasori ordered.

"Oh come on, don't suck the fun out of it." Deidara said. Sasori sighed and glanced over his shoulder at Deidara.

"Once you start you never stop..." Sasori muttered.

"Hey, guys," Kikuhana called, grabbing everyone's attention. "I think we're here." She said while pointing at a town up ahead.

"Yep, that's it." Sasori said, looking at a map.

By the time we made it to the town it was sunset.

"Ok, so where do we start looking?" I asked.

"Tomorrow, hmm." Deidara said. My sister and I both stared in perplexity.

"It's late and we've been traveling all day." Sasori explained. "We can stay there," Sasori motioned to a hotel building behind me and Kikuhana.

"So we'll relax for tonight and spend the whole day looking for the guy tomorrow, hmm." Deidara threw in.

"Oh, alright then." Kiku and I said in unison. The four of us checked into a hotel. The boys shared a room and my sister and I shared a room. Once we put our bags away and got cleaned up the two of us girls decided to go down to the lobby area. On our way in we noticed a ramen and sushi bar in the cafeteria and we wanted to check it out. Kikuhana grabbed the room key and we were about to leave the room when we heard a faint explosion come from the room next to ours.

"Are you out of your mind?" Sasori's slightly muffled voice could be heard from next door. "This is a public hotel, don't do that here." He added.

"Your point?" Deidara's muffled voice chimed in. "I can do whatever I wish in the privacy of my own hotel room, hmm."

"That only works for the privacy of your own home, imbecile." Sasori said, his voice dripping with annoyance.

"Whatever. And besides, if those talentless fools don't appreciate my art it's not my problem, hmm." Deidara said with a smug attitude. There was a pause of silence.

"That's not art you pyromaniac…" Sasori said in a deeply irritated tone. Kikuhana and I started snickering a bit.

"One of two things will happen," I told my sister. "A: Deidara's gonna keep blowing stuff up to annoy Sasori and end up blowing the rooftop off. Or B: Sasori will throw Deidara through the wall." I said, making Kiku and I laugh as hard as we could while still trying to be quite.

After that, we went downstairs to the ramen and sushi bar and happily ate our food. We bought ourselves ice cream and took it back up to our hotel room. We sat on the bed and ate ice cream and talked for a few hours. It was close to 3:00 AM before we fell asleep.

* * *

The next morning at around 7:30 there was knocking at our door.

"Girls," Sasori's voice drifted into the room. "You need to wake up and get ready so we can start looking for the wizard." Sasori said followed by another knock on the door. I groaned and pulled the covers closer to my face. Thirty minutes later, at 8:00, there was knocking again. "Hey, are you two ready yet?" Sasori asked from outside the room.

"No," Kiku and I answered in the same groggy tone.

"Come on, we need to get moving." He said. I listened to his footsteps faintly disappear.

"Go," Kiku ordered me with her pillow over her head. I ignored her and fell back asleep. Thirty more minutes passed by only there was no knocking. Instead there was the sound of a key unlocking a door from outside. Deidara had apparently used the emergency room key to get inside our room. He jerked open the door, marched over to the bed, and swiftly pulled the covers off the bed. Kikuhana and I jumped up and started beating him with our pillows.

"Alright, alright calm down!" Deidara defended himself while using his hands as a shield.

"Get out," I demanded as I pointed at the door. I looked at the clock which read 8:30. My sister wore the same annoyed expression as I did. We were not morning people; plus we stood up until 3:00 in the morning. Therefore, 8:30 was early for us. I grabbed an outfit from my bag and went into the bathroom to shower. I came out fully dressed; all I had to do was fix my hair. I fixed my hair into my usual style. By the time Kikuhana finished showering I was ready to go. Kiku did her hair into her usual style and then we went downstairs to meet with the boys in the lobby. Sasori and Deidara were dressed in casual clothing. They were waiting by the door and Sasori wore a very irritated expression. "I know, I know, you hate waiting." I said before he could say anything.

"Come on," he said and started walking out the door. Deidara had his hands in his pockets as he walked.

"Why do you two dress like twins, hmm?" Deidara asked.

"We just like to," I answered with a bit of a spaced-out tone. I wasn't paying that much attention; I just followed my group and daydreamed. I held onto my stomach, snapping me back into reality, as I started to feel hunger pains. I looked around and saw a dango stand. "Guys, hang on," I said out loud and ran over to the stand. I purchased one serving, which consisted of three balls of dango on a skewer. I decided to buy three more because they were two dollars each. I ran back to my group and started handing out the food to Kikuhana, Sasori and Deidara.

"Thanks, but you really didn't have to get anything for us." Sasori said to me.

"I know, but I wanted to." I answered with a smile. Sasori gave me a little smile before we proceeded with the search.


	44. Chapter 44

**Chapter 44**

Nightfall was quickly approaching and we hadn't found a single trace of the wizard.

"Are we in the right town?" I asked while glancing around the area.

"Yeah, we are." Kikuhana answered. "But there's also a chance he could be long gone by now." She added.

"Regardless, there's not sign of him today, hmm." Deidara said as he folded his arms behind his head. Sasori then let out a sigh and paused to look at the restaurant we were standing in front of.

"I'll buy you girls something to eat and we'll head back to the hotel." Sasori said as he leaned against the door to push it open and held the door for us.

"Oh," I said in surprise. "Thank you, Sasori." I smiled pleasantly. It was a local restaurant, nothing fancy. All of the tables were full so the four of us had to sit at the bar.

"Are Kiku and I allowed to sit here?" I whispered to Sasori.

"Deidara's 18 and I'm older than that. You'll be fine since you're with us." He assured me. "Just don't go asking me to buy you something." He joked.

"I'm more responsible than that." I laughed as I playfully pushed his arm.

"I know you are, I'm just messing with you." Sasori chuckled. I smiled and laughed.

The waitress came by and I ordered a cup of iced green tea while Kikuhana ordered a soda and Sasori and Deidara ordered tea as well. The waitress dropped off a sample plate of sushi when she gave everyone their beverages. My sister and I ate most of the sushi but Deidara took a couple of pieces. Kikuhana glanced around the restaurant before hopping off her chair.

"Where are you going?" Deidara asked.

"Bathroom," Kiku simply replied.

"Hurry back," I called as I stuffed another piece of sushi into my mouth.

After Kikuhana came out of the ladies room she began to make her way back to her group when she bumped into someone.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Kikuhana apologized as she dusted herself off.

"There's no need for an apology," A male voice replied. She looked up to see a man with shoulder-length, pail blond hair and icy blue eyes. Kikuhana noticed how attractive the man was and slightly blushed at his good looks.

"I'm Howl," the man politely introduced while holding out his hand. Kikuhana stared at him in a trance for a moment before answering.

"I'm—Yuuki," Kiku lied with a smile and shook his hand. She made a quick decision to give him a fake name. The man, Howl, was probably harmless, but she wanted to be safe and lie about her name.

"My, quite a lovely name for a lovely lady." Howl complimented as he bowed his head and kissed the back of Kikuhana's hand.

_Wow, he's so charming. _Kiku quietly giggled to herself.

"Now, Miss Yuuki, may I buy you something?" Howl offered. Kikuhana, who happened to be dazzled by the prince-like young man, momentarily snapped out of her trance to answer him.

"Oh, no that's ok, I already ordered." Kiku said as she looked over to where Sasori and I were sitting. "Please," she turned back to face Howl. "Don't let me keep you from doing whatever it was you were already doing." Kiku said with a polite smile.

"I wasn't doing anything that important before I had the pleasure of meeting you." Howl charmingly smiled. Kikuhana smiled and kept her gaze locked on him. Howl looked around the room and then paused with a puzzled look. "Who are those two?" He asked. Kikuhana turned around and followed his gaze. "Those two redheads, they keep muttering to each other and looking at you."

"Oh—those are just two of my friends." Kiku explained with a bit of a nervous smile.

"I'd be glad to meet them," Howl said with a friendly smile. Kikuhana paused for a brief moment.

"Ok," she answered and the two started walking back to the bar.

"I understand you two are friends of Yuuki." Howl said with a friendly smile. The two of us stared at him strangely.

"Yes, we are." Sasori replied after a pause.

"Howl, this is my best friend," she turned around. "Reiko." She said while looking at me.

"And this is her brother," she paused and motioned towards Sasori. I assumed the pause meant it was my turn to come up with a name.

"Akira," I blurted out. However, I spoke at the exact same time my sister said "Shiki." We both froze and looked at each other with wide eyes.

"Akira is my first name and Shiki is my middle name. I go by both names." Sasori lied in such a casual manner that it was very believable. I mentally gave a sigh of relief.

"Well, Akira Shiki," Howl looked at Sasori. "Reiko," he looked at me with a charismatic grin. "It's a pleasure meeting you both."

"You too," I smiled.

"Now, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to spend some time with Yuuki, just for a bit." Howl said with his eyes fixed on my sister.

"Not at all. But could we borrow her for just a moment?" Sasori asked.

"Of course," Howl graciously bowed his head and walked away.

"Nice job," Sasori said to Kikuhana once Howl was gone.

"What do you mean?" Kiku asked, bewildered.

"Howl, you found him." Sasori told her. "Although, I must say, I didn't expect him to charm you." He added with a bit of a laugh. Kikuhana still looked lost.

"Howl's the wizard." I told her.

"Wait, what? How do you know?" Kikuhana asked with some surprise in her tone.

"When the leader said we were looking for a wizard you automatically of an old guy, long grey beard, glasses, pointy hat and a robe, didn't you?" Sasori asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Well, yeah, kind of…" Kiku said while poking her index fingers together. I didn't blame my sister, I thought the same thing.

"I assumed so." Sasori responded.

"And when he got closer we could feel the aura coming from the scroll so he definitely has it on him." I added.

"What are you guys talking about, hmm?" Deidara asked as he walked back to the bar where we were all sitting.

"Where the heck were you?" Sasori asked.

"Just walking around," he replied.

"Why?" I asked.

"Boredom," Deidara shrugged. "Anyway, are we ready to go, hmm?" He asked.

"Nope! Kiku found the wizard." I grinned.

"Oh really now?" Deidara focused his attention to Kikuhana.

"Yep, and now I need to work on getting the scroll. So sit here, it shouldn't take me long." Kikuhana said as she started to walk back to Howl. Kiku returned to Howl with a smile and the two started talking.

"Wait, _that's _the wizard, hmm?" Deidara asked a bit stunned. "I thought he'd be—"

"Old?" I finished Deidara's sentence.

"Well, yeah," he murmured.

"Now we just have to sit here and wait…unfortunately." Sasori muttered the last part with some annoyance as he took a drink from his tea.

* * *

Time ticked by and my sister was still chatting with the wizard. I could tell both Sasori and Deidara were starting to run out of patience. Sasori had an irritated look and rested his chin in his palm while drumming his fingers on the countertop. I was able to keep myself occupied by sipping my tea and slowly spinning around on the barstool. I began to slip out of my thoughts when Sasori let out a groan.

"Hey, Sasori, I thought you hated waiting, hmm." Deidara said.

"Why do you ask me that _every time_ like you're expecting a different answer each time?" Sasori snapped. Deidara had the nerve to look surprised by Sasori's response. Suddenly, Howl got up from his seat and walked away.

"Alright, I'm going over there." Deidara announced as he got up from his seat and walked over to Kikuhana.

"Hey, what are you doing? What if he comes back?" I hissed, but he just ignored me and kept walking.

"Hey," Deidara called to Kikuhana to gain her attention.

"What are you doing?" She demanded.

"You're not on a date, hmm." Deidara said, avoiding her question.

"I know that," Kiku said with a faint trace of pink on her cheeks.

"Oh really? Then where's the scroll, hmm?" Deidara questioned.

"I'm working on that." Kikuhana crossed her arms.

"Well you need to work on that faster because I'm pretty sure Sasori is about five minutes away from turning everyone in this place into a part of his puppet collection, hmm!" Deidara exaggerated.

"Well what do you want me to do? Grab the scroll, say 'see ya!' and walk right out the door?" Kiku argued.

"If that'll make the process faster, hmm!" Deidara argued back.

"You know what? Why don't you—" She froze mid-sentence and her eyes widened as she looked passed Deidara's shoulder.

"What? Run out of insults, hmm?" Deidara taunted.

"Deidara…" she said with her wide eyes still locked on what was in her sight. "Kiss me." Kikuhana ordered as she glanced up at him.

"—What!" Deidara asked with an astonished expression.

"Don't ask questions, don't hesitate, I'll explain later, just do it." Kiku told him while remaining still. Deidara stared at her with uncertainty. "Now!" She demanded. Deidara grabbed Kikuhana's head and pulled her in, crashing his lips against hers.

"What is he doing…?" Sasori confusingly asked out loud.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" I asked. I followed Sasori's gaze only to see Deidara locking lips with my older sister. I blushed and let out a small yelp of surprise.

The kiss lasted for about five seconds before Kikuhana pushed Deidara away. They both stared at each other with pink faces but Kikuhana's expression was rather blank. Deidara stared at her, still unsure of why she made him do that. Kikuhana raised her hand and slapped Deidara dead across the face. Deidara held onto his cheek and was completely stunned. Kikuhana walked passed Deidara and back to Howl.

"What was that all about?" Howl asked Kiku.

"Oh, he's my ex; he's been having some trouble letting go." She lied.

Deidara came back to me and Sasori while still looking surprised.

"Why on earth would you try to kiss my sister you—?"

"I didn't," Deidara cut me off. "She told me to. She didn't say why, she just told me to kiss her so I did, hmm." Deidara explained while still holding onto his face.

"Did she say anything afterwards?" Sasori asked.

"She said something to that wizard about me being her ex." Deidara answered.

"Well that's kind of… weird." I said. We all were still very confused by Kikuhana's orders; however we just had to wait for her to obtain the scroll before we could start questioning her.


End file.
